Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Jan 2 – 4, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Well there is some snow forecast for the weekend! Not alot, but its something! Not much is changing out there at this time. Hard wind slabs and deep persistent slabs dominate the landscape.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Just as you transition from treeline into the alpine watch for wind slabs. Lee and cross-loaded features are the main areas of concern.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    This problem will be with us all season. At higher elevations there is more concern that these deep persistent weak layers could be human triggerable.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new observed in the last couple of days.

Snowpack Summary

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

Temperatures will be around -8C on Wednesday with light winds out of the SW. Unfortunately, no new snow is in the forecast......

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.

Regions covered