Kananaskis

We are quickly approaching crust building season. In the days & weeks to come, aspect and incline will play a big role in ski quality and avalanche hazard.

It seems the natural cycle continued yesterday with the warmer temperatures. Numerous sz2-2.5 slabs were seen today. Expect that trend of heat related avalanches to continue over the next few days.

Recent storm snow has settled into a pleasant 20cm of settled snow. So far the winds haven't made an appearance which means we've been spared a widespread wind slab problem. There are some wind slabs still lurking in the alpine, but they generally seem to be high and in steep alpine terrain. But there is a catch (when isn't there?), the March 12th layer is a slippery one and it doesn't need much of a cohesive surface layer to pose a problem. Unsupported alpine and treeline terrain is still concerning. The mid to lower pack remains variable, in every sense of the word. The depth changes dramatically on elevation, and the supportiveness of it seems to change at the drop of a hat. Today, the skis were sinking in odd places with little warning. Thin spots and rocky areas are still a likely place to trigger the deeper problem layers.

If you like sunny skiing/snowshoeing/ice climbing, the next few days are your time! Clear skies are expected tonight and most of the day tomorrow. Temperatures will start at -16 and rise to -3 by early afternoon. The solar input was noticeable today, expect the same strong inputs tomorrow. As for the wind, only light breezes are expected for the next few days.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
• Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.