Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Mar 13 – 14, 2020Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 7 years ago

Avalanche danger

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

Cold and easterly winds for Saturday. Good skiing can be found in sheltered areas. Be on the lookout for wind slabs in new places as the winds have changed direction.

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

Saturday morning, you can expects temperatures to be around -28c and warming up to a high of -17c. Skies will be a mix of sun and cloud while winds will be moderate to strong from the East.  

Sunday morning, it will be another chilly one and sunny, BUT the temperature is forecast to rise during the day to -5c. Stay tuned.....

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported or observed.

Snowpack Summary

Widespread buried wind slabs in the alpine and parts of treeline are found under the 10cm of recent snow. There are several generations of wind slabs and it is taking some time for them to consolidate into one layer. Be on the lookout for some reverse loading as the winds have been from the East in the last little while. 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