Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Dec 28 – 29, 2013Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 13 years ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Large and destructive avalanches are possible due to the persistent weak layer at the base of the snowpack. Conservative route selection is advised.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Up to 20cm of recent snow is available for transport. Moderate to strong West winds will begin to build slabs in lee and cross-loaded features.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–5
    Avalanches could step down to the basal October layers and involve the entire winters snowpack, especially in shallow snowpack areas.  In some areas a dense wind slab overlies this deeply buried weak layer. Large avalanches are possible.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Cloudy conditions will prevail with west winds in the moderate to strong winds. Alpine temperatures will reach -9 tomorrow. A trace amount of new snow is possible on Sunday with up to 5cm on Monday.

Avalanche Summary

One size 1.5 Na sluff from steep alpine terrain on East aspect at 2900m. This sluff did not appear to trigger a slab on the underlying slopes.

Snowpack Summary

15 to 20cm low density Hn bonding poorly to previous surfaces which include mfc, hard slab and FC. Variable thickness mfc observed on East and North aspects where traveled today. Test profile at 2250m on East aspect, 32 degrees slope, gave CTM(12) sudden planar down 71cm. Very dense (P+) previously formed slab overlies facets and depth hoar in wind loaded feature at treeline. Whumpfing observed at treeline.

Regions covered