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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 10th, 2022–Mar 11th, 2022

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

Regions

Kananaskis.

Tomorrow will have increasing winds at all elevations. Watch for fresh wind loading. 

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Another cold start for tomorrow. The overnight low will be -18, with a high of -8. Skies will be partly cloudy with westerly winds increasing throughout the day. Flurries are expected to start late in the day as well.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new today.

Snowpack Summary

Today's trip took us to the northern section of the Spray. Light alpine winds have formed thin wind slabs on all aspects. These seem reasonably well bonded, but in shallow areas they are more reactive. Treeline and below still feel quite settled with only localized windslabs being a problem. The crust is still the main concern and deserves respect as there are likely loose sugary facets on top of it. Solar aspects at all elevations should be evaluated. It is down 30-40cm now.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be aware of highly variable recent wind loading patterns.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and wind exposure.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.

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.