Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 2nd, 2021–Dec 3rd, 2021

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Kananaskis.

The Canmore Hill will be closed until Friday December 4 due to avalanche hazard and for control work.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Friday is expected to be mostly cloudy with a daytime high of -15c. Winds will be 50km/hr from the SW.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed.

Snowpack Summary

We have no fields observations but our remote weather stations indicated that this last storm dropped up to 45mm of rain along the Spray and freezing levels were around 2250m. This means that the alpine has probably received upwards of 50cm of snow. This storm came in with a lot of wind, so expect extensive wind slabs and loaded lee features in the alpine.  

The temperature has already started to cool, so there is a rain crust about 5cm down and will disappear at about the 2250m elevation. There are now several crusts in the snowpack below 2250m. This cooling trend will tighten up the snowpack reducing natural avalanche activity but increase the possibility of triggering. Approach all avalanche terrain with caution.

Terrain and Travel

  • Avoid lee and cross loaded slopes in the alpine.
  • Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.