Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 28th, 2018 3:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

jeremy.mackenzie, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

It is still very wintery out there with cool temps and strong winds. Surface wind slabs and buried wind slabs will become more sensitive to triggering with the ongoing wind loading.

Summary

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Thursday will be cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Ridge-top temperatures should reach -9 °C with moderate westerly winds. A brief storm is expected Friday with as much as 15cm of snow possible. Spring conditions are nowhere to be found with overnight lows near -18 °C and generally cool and cloudy days for the rest of the week.

Avalanche Summary

No slab activity noted today, but loose dry avalanches up to size 2.0 were observed in steep Alpine terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Between 5 and 10cm of new snow today from convective flurries. Moderate to strong winds continue to add to the existing wind slab problem, but slab formation is variable and not as widespread as expected. The recent snow is sluffing in steep Alpine terrain. In addition to the surface slabs, forecasters continue to watch for buried slabs that sit on the March 15th crust. Watch for this specifically on solar aspects. In addition, several different wind slab interfaces are found in wind prone areas. Human triggering of wind slabs of various depths is possible.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind slab development continues in the Alpine and in lee and cross-loaded features at Treeline. Expect some natural avalanche activity in steep terrain and be aware that human-triggering is likely in recently wind loaded features.

Evaluate unsupported slopes critically.Avoid freshly wind loaded features.Avoid steep lee and cross-loaded slopes

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1.5 - 2.5

Persistent Slabs

The March 15 crust layer is one to watch for on solar aspects. Previously formed wind slabs over this weak layer are reactive in steep and unsupported features.

Avoid steep Southerly aspects.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2.5

Valid until: Mar 29th, 2018 2:00PM