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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 21st, 2022–Mar 22nd, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Good skiing can be found at all elevations. Quite different snowpack on solar aspects compared to polar aspects. Read on.....

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Tuesday will bring a mixed bag of cloud, sun and light flurries, a very typical Spring day. The alpine should reach 0c, along with Moderate NW winds. Freezing level is expected to creep up to 2200m. You will feel this sooner on solar aspects.

Avalanche Summary

One size 1 slab (40cm thick) was skier triggered in a wind loaded area near the Dogleg.

Snowpack Summary

Generally a well settled snowpack on polar aspects with some wind slabs from recent winds in the alpine. Quite a different picture on steep solar aspects as there are two buried crusts approximately 40cm and 60cm down. Today the forecasters dug a pit on a SE aspects just below ridgeline and got easy test results with the surface slab sitting on a crust 40cm down. It is the time of year where the snow can change quickly, even on overcast days. Take the time to dig and evaluate carefully before committing to larger features. We did find good skiing even though the surface looked wind affected.

Terrain and Travel

  • Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and wind exposure.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.