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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 13th, 2020–Mar 14th, 2020

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis.

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.

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.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.