Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Feb 9 – 10, 2017Alberta Parks
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Strong winds, new snow and warming temps are creating new storm slabs that are sitting on top of an already weak snowpack.  Good time to ski at a hill!

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    2–3
    Buried wind slabs are widespread at Treeline and above. A natural avalanche cycle is expected to start again on thursday evening and continue into friday.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Recent snow combined with strong SW winds and warmer temps on Thursday have created widespread storm slabs in all open areas.  These slabs are more of a settlement slab in below treeline areas. 

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–4
    The basal layers remain exceptionally weak. The potential for an avalanche initiated in the upper snowpack to step down to deep instability and cause a very large avalanche is a concern.

Confidence

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Friday

Weather Forecast

An additional 10-20cm of snow is forecast to fall over the next 24hrs with strong SW winds and seasonal temperatures.  Freezing levels are forecast to remain around 1600m.  We are seeing a warming trend moving into next week.

Avalanche Summary

No new natural avalanche activity was observed on Thursday but visibility was obscured all day.

Snowpack Summary

Snow began falling later in the afternoon on Thursday as well as westerly winds and temperatures began to increase.  Forecasters were running into storm slabs up to 30cm thick in most open areas at all elevation bands.  The more deeply buried weak facetted base is also widespread in the region and any avalanche that initiates in the upper snowpack is likely to step down to this weak base and involve the entire winters snowpack.  Winds winds and snow expected to continue over the next 24hrs, we only expect these storm slabs to become thicker and more reactive.

Regions covered