Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Kananaskis.
Mainly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures should keep the hazard level down, but anytime the sun is shining watch for a rapid increase in hazard on solar aspects.
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
Up to 10cm of new snow is possible through Wednesday night with a nice cool start on Thursday morning (temps near -10C). This will warm to around -6C with light to moderate westerly winds.
Thursday and Friday also look to be relatively cool with a mix of sun and cloud.
Avalanche Summary
Some pin wheeling and small loose wet avalanches on steep solar aspects at lower elevations.
Snowpack Summary
Continued melt freeze cycle happening on all Solar aspects at all elevations and all aspects below tree line. Depending on the extent of the warming and solar radiation, we are seeing the top 5-20cm break down and sluffing off in wet loose avalanches . On North aspects, expect to find a crust up to 2300m, with dry snow above that elevation. The snowpack has not yet transitioned to a full "Spring" snowpack, but it is getting there.
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.
- Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.
- Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
Avalanche Problems
Loose Wet
Problem exists in steep Below Treeline features as the crust breaks down with day time warming. Solar aspects at all elevations are also subject to this avalanche problem whenever the sun shines.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5
Wind Slabs
Isolated pockets of wind slab are found in wind prone terrain in the Alpine.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5