Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Mar 2 – 3, 2019Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 8 years ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Cold temps continue...  When snow finally does come, it will be falling on a widespread weak snowpack.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Wind slabs are being found along ridgelines at treeline and above. In most areas they are resting on a thick layer of facets and could be easily triggered in unsupported terrain. Cracking was observed by forecaters in Alpine terrain on Friday.

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–1.5
    Watch for solar triggered loose dry slides later in the day on Sunday

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–3
    This problem is a "low probability, high consequence" situation. While difficult to trigger, if the layer does fail it will result in a full depth avalanche.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Slightly warmer temps on Sunday but still cold with a lack of wind.  Ensure you are on a solar aspect if you head outside...

Avalanche Summary

Only isolated sluffing from steep terrain up to sz 1 on solar aspects later in the day.  There was also a MIN regading a Sa sz 1.5 on Mt Indefatiagable on Friday that involved the upper snowpack running far and fast on top of an underlying suncrust.  Be aware of fast sluffing in steep terrain as you ski.

Snowpack Summary

Continued cold temps (-40C Saturday morning) are rotting out the snowpack at lower elevations.  Below 2000m in many areas its not supportive at all.  At treeline and above isolated pockets of windslabs should be expected along ridgelines and in crossloaded features.  These slabs are 10-20cm thick and reactive to skier triggering.  The do not extend far downslope at this time but if winds increase we can expect these slabs to become more specific to widespread.  The bit of heat we are seeing is triggering loose dry slides on solar aspects later in teh day.

Regions covered