Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Jan 30 – 31, 2018Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 9 years ago

Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

We are in a waiting game now. The new snow load is creeping up. Eventually the scales will tip and the deeper layers will fail. Avoid high consequence terrain right now.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1.5–3
    Fresh windslabs are widespread. The older slabs are still there, and very stressed with the new load.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1.5–3
    New load is the key variable with this layer. How it handles the new load will likely vary from area to area.

Weather Forecast

Cloudy with sunny periods and the occasional flurry tomorrow. Nothing significant for new snow. A high temp of -14. Light west winds (20-30km/hr)

Avalanche Summary

A sz2.5 was noted near Burstall Pass. The actual timing is uncertain as it likely blew in quickly. It looked to be about 24hrs old. There were 2 separate fractures, indicating the step down mid slope.

Snowpack Summary

30cm of new snow on the road and 15cm up high. Sustained alpine winds and snow have combined to create new wind slabs in the alpine and treeline. These will be reactive in their own right, but the larger worry is the rapid loading of the deeper weak layers. The Jan 6th layer is now down almost a meter at treeline. This will put the Dec 15 layer down 120-140cm. Cornices have also seen some significant growth in the last 24hrs.

Confidence

-

Regions covered