Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 21st, 2017 3:27PM

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

matt.mueller, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

The snowpack is not trustworthy at the moment. Use low angle terrain to limit your exposure to avalanches.

Summary

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

The current trend is for increasingly high pressure to approach as the week goes on. With this we'll see no significant precip, stable temps and light winds. Tomorrow will see highs of -9 in the alpine with light southerly winds.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new today.

Snowpack Summary

The below tree line snow pack is still terrible. 50-60cm of facets makes trail breaking frustratingly difficult and tediously slow. Ground hazards are barely buried.Moving up to treeline, there are three distinct layers/interfaces to watch for. The top 40-60cm is a series of laminated windslabs of varying densities. In some windloaded areas, there may be failures within these slabs. This layer will likely react as one solid layer if initiated. Below that lies the Dec 18th facet layer. In today's trip to Tent Ridge, this interface/layer was very prominent. Tests had a consistent failure down 60cm within this facet layer. Below this lies the third main layer which is made up of the various crusts from earlier this winter. In general it seems to be relatively solid. In the alpine it is similar, except for the additional windslabs on the surface.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

This is describing the layer down about 60cm. It is a 10-15cm thick layer of facets. So far failures have occurred within the layer, not at a specific interface.

Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, and shooting cracks.Avoid unsupported slopes.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Deep Persistent Slabs

In some alpine areas we're seeing the base layers rot out and fail under testing. The trend is unknown on where exactly this is happening. Dig to inspect areas as you approach alpine elevations.

If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Wind Slabs

Caution for windslabs on lee aspects in the Alpine and at treeline. Crossloaded terrain should also be treated as suspect.

Avoid unsupported slopes.Avoid steep lee and cross-loaded slopes

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Jan 22nd, 2017 2:00PM