Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible - Likely
- Size
- 1–3
Lee and cross loaded features are especially loaded and look primed for human triggering.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapKananaskis
Mar 10 – 11, 2017Alberta Parks
Archived · expired 10 years ago
Avalanche danger
Sat
Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
Highlights
A large (sz 3.5) natural avalanche on Mt Murray that ran full path on Friday is a good reminder of the weak facetted base and the potential for large avalanches. Keep a keen eye on overhead terrain.
Avalanche problems
Cornices
NNEESESSWWNW- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 2–3
Several cornice failures over the past week have triggered deep and large avalanches.
Deep Persistent Slabs
NNEESESSWWNW- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Unlikely - Possible
- Size
- 2–4
Evidence of recent avalanches stepping down to this layer and running full path.
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
A few cm of new snow is forecast to fall overnight and throughout the day on Saturday. Temperatures will warm up to -10C but as temperature increase so will the winds. Forecast are calling for moderate westerly winds at 3000m on Saturday.
Avalanche Summary
The new snow over the past 24hrs is sluffing easily in steeper terrain and a few new sz 2 natural avalanches from steep alpine terrain were observed. There was also a noteable sz 3.5 avalanche on Mt Murray with a fracture line over 700m wide, a max depth of 2m and ran over 800m to the valley floor reaching mature timber. This is a good red flag about paths that have not yet released.
Snowpack Summary
10-15cm low density new snow over the past 24hrs. Evidence of moderate winds at upper elevations but TL and lower no wind affect noted. Wind slabs in Alpine terrain are beginning to settle but the weak basal layers and recent large avalanches are causing us to be reluctant to step into bigger alpine terrain.