Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 15th, 2014 3:00PM

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

jeremy.mackenzie, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

In Alpine areas very dense slabs sit on the weak basal layers. Forecasters are slowly gaining confidence in this terrain but the potential for large full-depth avalanches is still there.

Summary

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

No precipitation is in the in the medium-term forecast. Temperatures on Tuesday should reach -5 degrees in the Alpine with light SW winds and a mix of sun and cloud.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new.

Snowpack Summary

Very dense wind slabs are found in the Alpine, but distribution and depth are highly variable. These wind slabs are providing some bridging strength over the basal weak layers, but human triggering is still possible especially from shallow snowpack areas. The Dec 13th rain crust extends up to between 2200 and 2100m and makes for very poor skiing below this elevation. The basal weak layer combo of weak facets sitting on November rain crust is still the primary concern due to the potential for full depth avalanches should a failure occur.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

The weak basal layers are the principal concern in the snowpack. Dense slabs now overlie these basal layers. While these dense slabs provide some bridging strength, if a slab is triggered the consequences could be significant.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>Be aware of the potential for full depth avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.>

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Wind Slabs

Isolated pockets of thin wind slabs are found in the upper Alpine elevations. Watch for these pockets in the immediate lee of ridgelines.

Caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Dec 16th, 2014 2:00PM