Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Mar 5 – 6, 2016Alberta Parks
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Wind and high freezing levels will be the issues contributing to the avalanche problems. Windslabs and loose wet avalanches will be the priority issues for Sunday. Pay particular attention to steep south facing terrain where melt-freeze crusts exist.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3
    The winds overnight and through today have developed windslabs which will be touchy with the high freezing levels.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–5
    Caution in the alpine elevation band in shallow snowpack areas or where the winds have scoured the snowpack to the rocks.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2
    High freezing levels are responsible for the moist snow which was observed up to 2400 meters today as well as rain to 1900 meters.  Watch for terrain traps or overhead where loose wet avalanches could push a skier into a gully style creek.

Confidence

Moderate

Weather Forecast

Cloudy with light flurries, 4-5cm of snow. Alpine temperature is 0 deg. Southwesterly flow to 30 km/h and gusting up to 60km/h. Freezing levels to 2300 meters.

Avalanche Summary

Yesterday a few slab avalanches were reported in the far east edge of our forecast region to size 2.0. as well as a few loose dry to size 1.0.

Snowpack Summary

High freezing levels and precipitation falling as rain is adding heat to the upper snowpack and consequently the surface is moist which diminishes ski quality and decreases snowpack stability. Moist snow was reported to the top of Smut's Pass (2330 meters) and so we suspect moist snow on all aspects to approximately 2400 meters or higher. There are several melt freeze and sun crusts in the upper 50cm of the snowpack and the Jan 6th facets are buried 60-80cm deep. In shallower snowpack areas, the snowpack will far less supportive as the midpack and basal layers are largely facetted.

Regions covered