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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 2nd, 2022–Mar 3rd, 2022

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

Regions

Kananaskis.

Evaluate the bond of the new snow and the underlying surface as you travel. Solar aspects where the new snow is overlying a crust seem to be the places where the bond is the most reactive.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Another pulse of snow is expected to move into the region thursday throughout the day giving us another 10-12cm of snow, temperatures around -5C and light winds. As the week moves on though, we are back onto a cooling trend with temperatures returning to the minus teens....

Avalanche Summary

Numerous loose dry slides up to sz 1 have occurred in the past 24hrs. Some pulling out thin slabs at the base of the cliff bands that werent running far. Of note forecasters triggerred a sz 2.5 skier remote avalanche today on a SE facing ridge at 2500m in the Highwood pass area. The slab failed down 40cm on the recent melt freeze crust, was 200m wide and ran for 500m.  

Snowpack Summary

20-30cm of recent storm snow is beginning to settle under the influence of warm temperatures and light winds. Isolated windslabs are being found along ridgelines in the Alpine but these slabs do not extend far downslope. The recent snow is poorly bonded to the underlying melt freeze crust on isolated steep solar aspects and forecasters were able to remote trigger a SE facing bowl from a ridge at 2500m. Use caution if travelling on these solar aspects and check the bond with the new snow and the underlying crust.    

Terrain and Travel

  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and wind exposure.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.

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.