Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Kananaskis.
Two large avalanche that ran full path in the past 24hrs indicated that the basal layers should still be on your mind. Now is not the time to be pushing into bigger terrain. Be conservative, and limit your exposure to big overhead terrain, especially if it has not slid.
Confidence
Moderate -
Weather Forecast
Light snow is forecast to fall over the next 24hrs with with moderate SW winds at the upper elevations. Overnight lows are not too bad (-15C range) but the cooler air is moving in. in the week ahead, I saw -38C in one forecast overnight. This can make a small issue an emergency quickly so be aware...
Avalanche Summary
Commonwealth ridge released on the basal facets in the past 24hrs. This avalanche was 400m wide, up to 2m deep and ran full path to the valley floor. There was also a sz 2 in the adjacent path that also failed on ground. Photo
The North face of Sharks Tooth was observed to have a 400m fracture line up to 2m deep that also failed on ground. We were unable to tell how far it went.  Â
Snowpack Summary
Strong winds for a few hours Friday Eve have developed widespread windslabs at upper elevations and even down into treeline. This wind was enough to move snow around so much that the basal facets were overloaded and a few N and E features failed down at the basal facets and avalanched sz 3 running full path. The Surface hoar is sporadic and isolated between 1800-2100m. We have found it in a few places but its not widespread. Be curious and look for this interface down around 50cm. Â
Terrain and Travel
- Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a deep persistent slab.
- Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Avoid areas with a thin or variable snowpack.