Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, Kananaskis, North 40, Spray - KLakes.
Heat has, and will continue to weaken the snowpack until the next cool off this week-end. Right now its probably best to focus on non avalanche related activities.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No field trip today, but its expected that the loose wet avalanches have continued through the day.
Snowpack Summary
Warm temps are making the snowpack isothermal in lower elevation areas and making the top 10-30cm moist at treeline and above. Light overnight freezes are helping, but they just can't compete with the daytime highs. Every day the snowpack is becoming weaker and weaker. This warmth induced rapid settlement is overloading the weak basal facets, and in some areas triggering full depth avalanches. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended at this time.
Weather Summary
It's not very often that we discuss freezing levels in early February...yet here we are. Tomorrow will start at -4 and rise to +2 by mid afternoon. Food for thought: as I write this Mud lake is sitting at an impossible +7! Tomorrow could be much warmer than predicted. The rest of the weather news isn't much more inspiring. Light winds from the south, broken to overcast cloud cover and no snow.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
- In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.
- Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
Avalanche Problems
Loose Wet
Surface snow becoming moist and wet with high freezing levels.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely - Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Persistent Slabs
Persistent and wet slabs have been seen to be failing on the arctic facets down 30-50cm
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1.5 - 3
Deep Persistent Slabs
Recent evidence exists of avalanche failing in the basal facets and depth hoar close to ground.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2