Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Jan 30 – 31, 2017Alberta Parks
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Another wave of cold weather on Tuesday and Wednesday will do nothing to improve the basal facets. Caution is advised in steep terrain as dense wind slabs overlie these weak base layers.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3
    Recent extreme westerly winds have created thin wind slabs to add to the existing wind slabs already out there. It is possible to trigger a smaller surface slab that could then step down to a deeper weak layer.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    If this layers if triggered, there is a likelihood of entraining the entire snowpack with it causing a large avalanche.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3
    The big concern is that if anything gets triggered within the snowpack, then the avalanche will step down to the weak basal facets and involve the entire winter's snowpack.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Tuesday will be a mix of sun and cloud with a high of only -18 °C. Winds will be light from the North, but will feel brisk! The cold weather hangs around for a couple of days. There is no precipitation expected in the near future.

Avalanche Summary

A Mountain Information Network (MIN) report was submitted yesterday sharing a close call by a party ski-touring in the Hero's Knob area. The remotely triggered a size 2.0 slab avalanche from 100m away. This occurred at approximately 2300m on a SE aspect. The slab was reported as 80cm thick, so it is quite possible that the failure plane was the Dec 18th persistent weak layer. See the MIN posting for more information by zooming in on the blue flag in the Hero's Knob area.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slabs are widespread in lee and cross-loaded features in the Alpine and in open areas at Treeline due to recent extreme westerly winds. These slabs sit on a weak and faceted mid-pack and basal layers. The snowpack at lower elevations remains shallow, weak and facetted and only supports the weight of a skier on previously established paths.

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