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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 18th, 2021–Jan 19th, 2021

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

Regions

Kananaskis.

More wind on the way. Fair skiing can be found at treeline and below, in areas sheltered from the wind.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Monday night, the temperature will drop down to -17c with a Tuesday high of -10c in the Alpine. Mainly cloudy for Tuesday, along with extreme west winds forecast by mid-day. Cooling trend expected for Wednesday. Sorry, but no snow in the horizon.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed in the Burstall Pass area or when travelling along the Spray road.

Snowpack Summary

A skiff of snow covers the widespread wind slabs in the Alpine and into tree line. A test profile at Burstall Pass today revealed the sheers in the upper 50cm are tightening. Despite the wind slabs, the actual skiing was fair and you could stay on top of the surface without breaking through. The cornices right now are pretty large for this time of year. With the strong winds coming on Tuesday, be on the lookout for new wind slabs forming.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.

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.