Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Nov 28 – 29, 2015Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 11 years ago

Avalanche danger

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

Good travel conditions for the bigger tours right now, but remember the days are short. High freezing levels will very likely lead to loose wet avalanches on steep solar aspects. Be cautious with wind slabs in shallow snowpack areas.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Dense wind slabs dominate Alpine areas and extend into open terrain at Treeline. Recently these wind slabs have been stubborn to trigger, but steep terrain with shallow snowpack characteristics are potential trigger points to be wary of.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–2
    As temperatures warm up expect to encounter loose wet avalanches on solar aspects out of steeper terrain. A weak freeze at upper elevations could lead to a more rapid rise in this type of avalanche activity on Sunday.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Conditions for Sunday are expected to be clear and sunny, very light winds and warm temperatures at upper elevations (freezing levels between 2700 and 2800m). A temperature inversion is expected to persist through to Monday.

Avalanche Summary

Very little avalanche activity has been observed over the past 72 hours. Very isolated pin-wheeling occurred in the afternoon on steep solar aspects.

Snowpack Summary

Surface hoar formation observed on sheltered northerly aspects and in dark, shady spots such as canyons and creek beds. The snowpack continues to settle due to mild daytime temperatures at upper elevations. Moist snow is found on steep solar aspects at Treeline and above, which is re-freezing into a crust overnight. Conditions in the Alpine range from scoured scree to dense wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded features, particularly near ridgelines. These wind slabs have been quite stubborn to trigger, but steep areas with shallow snowpack conditions remain a area of concern for triggering.

Regions covered