Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 2nd, 2013 8:02AM

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

jeremy.mackenzie, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Winds at upper altitudes are still transporting snow into lee features. Wind slab formation continues. Some increase in avalanche hazard could occur on solar aspects due to daytime heating.

Summary

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Winds will remain strong from the western quadrant and temperatures will be cooler on Sunday. A light precipitation event is expected on Monday, but not significant snowfall amounts are expected.

Avalanche Summary

Report of a few small cornice failures on a S aspect in the Chester Lake area.

Snowpack Summary

A few new cm of snow at higher elevations in the past 48 hours.Â Close to 30cm of new snow is now overlying the 0123 windslabs/storm snow interface.Â Mid day on friday the chinook started rolling in, winds increased and wind slabs begin to further develop in Alpine areas due to the strong SW flow.Â The snowpack is weak and facetted in lower elevations but above 2000m the midpack gains strength and improves.Â 140cm on average at TL.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Up to 30cm of snow has fallen at upper elevations over the past week. This snow has formed soft and hard wind slabs up to 30cm thick in Alpine open terrain.

Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>Avoid convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.>

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 4

Persistent Slabs

Buried wind slabs should be expected throughout the region. These slabs are now buried by the recent snow making them tougher to locate. Use caution in thin areas where these slabs may be more sensitive to triggering.

Be aware of thin areas that may propagate to deeper instabilites.>

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Valid until: Feb 3rd, 2013 2:00PM