Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Dec 24 – 25, 2014Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 12 years ago

Avalanche danger

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

There is enough snow out there for slab development. Wind is the missing ingredient at the moment. When the winds pick up, expect conditions to change.Have a happy, and safe Holiday Season!

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    These are limited to ridge crests and crossloaded terrain at alpine and open treeline areas.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3
    These are an anticipated problem as localized winds pick up. Given the expected change in weather flow, reverse loading could be an issue.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–4
    This layer has potential for full depth avalanches. It is unlikely, but the possibility should ne recognized.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

We are back to a NW flow for tomorrow. Clear skies, cooler temps and dry conditions are expected.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new

Snowpack Summary

We have had anywhere from 8-16cms os snow in the last 24hrs. For the most part, the strong winds had blown themselves out by the time the snow really started falling. The alpine will have storm slabs and windslabs in immediate lee areas. Treeline still has some isolated windslabs that are likely reactive to human triggers. The long term trouble layers are still out there. Below treeline, the snow depth is 50-90cm with the Nov crust/facets/depth hoar down 70cm on average. Quick profiles today noted that the mid-pack is getting weaker. The Dec 3rd crust and  Dec 18 surface hoar layers are out there, but not a problem with the current load.

Regions covered