Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 27th, 2016 7:28AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

mike.koppang, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

A few new cm's of snow is forecast overnight with STRONG winds. It is unlikely that this new snow will be enough to bump up the danger but we may see a few small pockets of windslabs develop.

Summary

Confidence

High

Weather Forecast

Flurries.Accumulation: 6 cm.Alpine temperature: High -2 °C.Ridge wind west: 60 km/h gusting to 95 km/h.Freezing level: 1800 metres.

Avalanche Summary

A couple new slabs have occurred over past few days but only one was noteable to the forecasting staff. A sz 2 on a NE aspect at 2400m in the Dog Leg slide path area. This slide was 40-60m wide, failed down 40cm or so and ran 400m down into skiable terrain. The overight wind was the likely cuplrit just adding that little bit of additional load the caused the failure.

Snowpack Summary

Little change over the past 24hrs. Winds abated a bit but the damage is done. The jan 6th interface is down 30-40cm and producing a variety of sheers from easy to moderate. Overlying this interface is a hard slab that skiers need to be aware has the ability to propagate across a feature or along a ridgeline. Once this slab initiates it is likely that it will scrub the basal facets beneath this layer and cause a potentially large avalanche running farther than expected.

Problems

Wind Slabs

20-40cm laminated wind slabs above 2300m.

Avoid cross loaded slopes at or above treeline.>Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 4

Persistent Slabs

Hard slabs now have the ability to create long propogations across a feature. Avoid thin areas where is may be easier to trigger this weakness.

Avoid steep lee and cross-loaded features>Dig down to find and test weak layers before committing to a line.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Valid until: Jan 28th, 2016 2:00PM