Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Mar 12 – 13, 2020Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 7 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Pay attention to wind slabs and reverse loading as you approach tree line. Good skiing can be found in sheltered areas.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–3

    Yet another generation of wind slabs has been recently formed. These are everywhere in the Alpine and extend down into Treeline. 

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    Still concern for the weak layer deep in the snowpack. Triggering is more concerning in shallow snowpack areas.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Cold and East winds are coming. Friday is forecast to have a high of -17c along with 5cm of snow. With the easterly winds, be on the lookout for some reverse loading. The weather models are not all in agreement with snowfall amounts for Friday and the weekend, so let's hope for more.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed.

Snowpack Summary

Widespread buried wind slabs in the alpine and parts of treeline are found under the 10cm of snow that fell Tuesday. There are several generations of wind slabs and it is taking some time for them to consolidate into one layer. Expect some areas of surface sun crust on steep solar aspects, particularly at lower elevations. Cornices are large right now and should be given respect.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be aware of highly variable recent wind loading patterns.
  • Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain.
  • Extra caution is needed around cornices under the current conditions.
  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a deep persistent slab.

Regions covered