Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 28th, 2016 8:18AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Persistent Slabs, Deep Persistent Slabs and Cornices.

jeremy.mackenzie, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Solar radiation and daytime heating will lead to an increase in danger levels, especially on solar aspects. Start early and finish early. Big slopes in the Alpine are still a serious concern due to deeply buried weak layers.

Summary

Confidence

High

Weather Forecast

Tuesday will bring a mix of sun and cloud to the region with no precipitation expected. Alpine temperatures will reach a high of -2 °C with freezing levels near 2100m. Ridge-top winds will be out of the north at 15-30 km/h. The remainder of the week looks to be relatively warm with freezing levels climbing to 2500m on Wednesday.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new today, but visibility was limited.

Snowpack Summary

Variable new snow amounts overnight ranging from 3 to 15cm. This snow overlies crusts everywhere except on northerly aspects above 2200m. Numerous buried crusts now exist on solar aspects. Moist surface snow observed today at lower elevations. The deep persistent layer from early January remains on our radar as a "low probability - high consequence" layer. Cornices continue to grow and sag.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Wind slabs are found in lee and cross-loaded features and remain possible to trigger by skier traffic. Despite the MODERATE hazard rating caution is advised in large terrain features.

Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>Avoid steep, open slopes.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Deep Persistent Slabs

The weak Jan 6th layer and basal facets are possible to trigger from shallow snowpack areas or from large triggers such as falling cornices. Occasional large avalanches continue to occur throughout the Rockies associated with this problem.

Avoid convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.>Avoid exposure to solar aspects overhead, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.>Be aware of the potential for full depth avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

3 - 6

Cornices

Cornices are large and looming. Avoid exposure to these giants and the underlying slopes. Failures triggered by solar radiation, warming and/or continued loading will cause large to very large avalanches.

Avoid steep slopes below cornices.>Do not travel on slopes that are exposed to cornices overhead.>Cornices become weak with daytime heating. >

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 5

Valid until: Mar 29th, 2016 2:00PM