Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 3rd, 2024–Jan 5th, 2024

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Watch for pocket of deep persistent slabs in Alpine terrain along ridgelines and in steep crossloaded features.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new observed in the last couple of days.

Snowpack Summary

There was a trace of a trace on Wednesday...

Strong winds have stripped all available snow and left hard slabs and scoured to ground where exposed. The early December rain crust is still present down about 30 cm but is starting to show signs of breaking down in valley bottom areas. Weak basal facets and depth hoar complete the lower snowpack. Overall conditions more closely resemble early November as opposed to Early January!

Weather Summary

Daytime highs around -6C with moderate winds out of the SW. There will be a trace of new snow over the next 24hrs!

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.