Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 14th, 2014 3:00PM

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

mike.koppang, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Conditions are touchy at this time and LOTS of caution is advised. Pump the brakes before skiing down and be heads up while skining up. Shooting cracks, whumpfing and recent remote triggering indicates conditions are tricky. Video update

Summary

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

The storm that passed the region is expected to end on Friday night and then Saturday is expected to be mainly cloudy with Alpine temperature at -9C and westerly winds out of the southwest at 25-45km/hr. On sunday the next wave of precip is expected to hit giving us an additional 10-20cm.

Avalanche Summary

A few additional sz 2 avalanches were observed today. The majority of these avalanches were observed on easterly aspects and failing within the HST. Average fracture line depth was 70-90cm. We suspect there are more avalanches occuring but obscured conditions prevented up from having a good look around.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 50cm of recent storm snow is now being redistributed by available winds and forming windslabs up to 70cm thick in all open areas. These new windslabs are overlying 10-15cm of weak facetted grains. Easy sheers are being found at this interface and numerous whumpfs and shooting cracks were being observed throughout the day. As soon as one transitions into wind affected terrain at treeline, the snowpack stability greatly deteriorates.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Windslabs are being found in open area at treeline and above. These slabs are easily triggerred by light loads such as a skier. Avoid all steeper areas.

Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>Whumpfing, shooting cracks and recent avalanches are all strong inicators of unstable snowpack.>Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely - Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 4

Deep Persistent Slabs

We havent seen any action on the Basal facets in sometime now but remember that this weakness persists down low in the snowpack.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

3 - 5

Valid until: Feb 15th, 2014 2:00PM