Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

No new or recent observations. No reported events into the Kananaskis Region office.

Up to 20cm of recent snow fell in the Ghost region over the past 24hrs. This snow fell with very little wind but winds are forecast to increase overnight on Thursday. A thick crust can be found in the upper snowpack that developed in late march. Recent snow over the past week has buried this crust down 30-60cm. Storm slabs and windslabs can be found in the upper snowpack that will be reactive to traffic from ice climbers. Cornices over popular routes such as the Sorcerer have also been reported as large. Clear skies and strong solar influence will allow stability to deteriorate throughout the day so pay attention to overhead terrain in the sun.

Even a small avalanche can have large consequences in steep or gullied terrain so use be thinking about that as you travel. Routes that commonly don't have avalanche hazard will be affected by this incoming storm.

A cool morning with -15C forecast and winds are expected to be moderate out of the NW overnight before diminishing during the day. The freezing level will climb to 2100m and skies are forecast to be clear so pay attention to the strong solar radiation decreasing stability later in the day especially on solar aspects.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Ice climbers should be equipped with avalanche safety gear.
• Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
• Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.