Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 5th, 2016 8:01AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Wind Slabs, Loose Wet and Persistent Slabs.

matt.mueller, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Wind and high freezing levels will be the issues contributing to the avalanche problems. Windslabs and loose wet avalanches will be the priority issues for Sunday. Pay particular attention to steep south facing terrain where melt-freeze crusts exist.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate

Weather Forecast

Cloudy with light flurries, 4-5cm of snow. Alpine temperature is 0 deg. Southwesterly flow to 30 km/h and gusting up to 60km/h. Freezing levels to 2300 meters.

Avalanche Summary

Yesterday a few slab avalanches were reported in the far east edge of our forecast region to size 2.0. as well as a few loose dry to size 1.0.

Snowpack Summary

High freezing levels and precipitation falling as rain is adding heat to the upper snowpack and consequently the surface is moist which diminishes ski quality and decreases snowpack stability. Moist snow was reported to the top of Smut's Pass (2330 meters) and so we suspect moist snow on all aspects to approximately 2400 meters or higher. There are several melt freeze and sun crusts in the upper 50cm of the snowpack and the Jan 6th facets are buried 60-80cm deep. In shallower snowpack areas, the snowpack will far less supportive as the midpack and basal layers are largely facetted.

Problems

Wind Slabs

The winds overnight and through today have developed windslabs which will be touchy with the high freezing levels.

Caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Loose Wet

High freezing levels are responsible for the moist snow which was observed up to 2400 meters today as well as rain to 1900 meters. Watch for terrain traps or overhead where loose wet avalanches could push a skier into a gully style creek.

Avoid exposure to sun exposed slopes.>Sluffs may trigger deeper instabilities.>Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of rain.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

Caution in the alpine elevation band in shallow snowpack areas or where the winds have scoured the snowpack to the rocks.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

2 - 5

Valid until: Mar 6th, 2016 2:00PM