Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 9th, 2024–Mar 10th, 2024

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes, Ghost.

A smaller storm is due to arrive over the next couple days. This will increase the already heightened danger ratings we are dealing with. Fresh windslabs will be easily triggered and step down to lower layers in the snowpack is highly likely.

A Special Public Avalanche Warning is in effect and has been extended. Click the red SPAW link for details.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed today. The sun is really starting to have some power. Solar aspects are becoming moist in the afternoons and pinwheeling is a good indicator of the surface snow loosing cohesion.

Snowpack Summary

The winds continue to blow in the higher elevations. Visible transport was observed throughout the whole day in Canmore and along the spray. Fresh wind loading can be expected from all the available snow in fetch area's. On solar aspects there is a sun crust forming and soon to be buried if the forecasted snow is true, this will create a new sliding layer to be aware of. The Feb 2nd crust continues to break down.

Weather Summary

Mainly cloudy with sunny periods. Flurries throughout the day may accumulate up to 5 cm. Day time high of -7 and winds will be Southwest at 35 km/h Gusting to 60km.

Over the next 3.5 days most forecasts re calling for roughly 25cm.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Potential for wide propagation exists, fresh slabs may rest on surface hoar, facets and/or crust.
Remote triggering is a concern, watch out for adjacent and overhead slopes.
If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.