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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 10th, 2023–Dec 11th, 2023

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

Regions

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

Conditions are improving out there. Ski quality is still less than fantastic, but coverage is making travel a bit more reasonable. Enjoy exploring, and remember to approach blown in areas with caution.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Most notable today were two cornice collapses. Both were alpine ridges above cliffs and common performers. In both cases, the deeper basal/ground layers (Nov 10) were involved, but no slab propagations were noted.

Snowpack Summary

Quite a change in our snowpack overnight. Most ridges are back to being gravel or old snow and many treed areas have been blown clean. This has led to a new batch of windslabs in most lee areas. Many of the avalanches from yesterday have been filled in with only the debris deposits being visible. There's a good chance the crust from the last rain storm is exposed in wind prone areas. While the windslabs are the main concern, don't forget the deeper layers are still players in the avalanche game. Dig down and keep track of the crust's location/condition and remember, in some areas the surface hoar may still be intact. This layer could be lingering and reactive as the crust fades away at its upper limit. Good luck out there! Travel still looks tedious getting out of valley bottom, but there could be some skiing tucked away at treeline elevations.

Weather Summary

Overnight temperatures will be steady at -10 with a slight warm up tomorrow afternoon. Ridge winds will be mostly from the SW with a chance of a pivot to the NW in the late afternoon. Speeds will mostly be light, but if you're chasing summits, peak winds will be in the more moderate (40km/h) range. Flurries may bring a centimeter or two of new snow.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.

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.