Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Apr 16th, 2017 3:00PM

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

michael.olsthoorn, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Warm and sunny for Monday. Expect strong solar radiation to rapidly change the snow stability. Stay away from large cornices overhead.

Summary

Confidence

Weather Forecast

Monday is calling for cloudy skies with sunny periods. Ridge winds are expected to be 15km/hr from the SW. Alpine temperature should reach 0c with a freezing level of 2400m. Expect strong solar radiation to destabilize the slopes especially on solar aspects.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity was observed on Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

Expect widespread crusts on aspects up to 2200m and on solar aspects up to 2700m. Recent wind slabs can be encountered in Alpine terrain or North through East aspects as a result of strong winds over the past few days. Solar aspects have also been blown down to the previous crust in alpine terrain. 100-140cm of settled snow is overlying the weak basal facets. Moderate to hard sheers persist in these basal facets and are sudden collapse in nature. There is no hint of the snowpack starting to go isothermal in most areas.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Recent wind slabs have formed on lee aspects (N and E) in alpine areas as a result of previous strong SW winds.

Assess start zones carefully and use safe travel techniques.Avoid freshly wind loaded features.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Deep Persistent Slabs

We are not entirely free from this layer yet. It is still down there and more suspect in thin areas, cold areas that haven't seen a warming cycle and large terrain that hasn't avalanched yet.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could easily trigger deep slabs.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Apr 17th, 2017 2:00PM