Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, Kananaskis, North 40, Spray - KLakes.
New snow has refreshed the region, but unfortunately extreme winds have created extensive new wind slabs. These slabs will be sensitive to human triggering. Look to sheltered areas for better quality turns.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed or reported today.
Snowpack Summary
New snow amounts were highly variable though the region in the past 24 hours: 3-10cm at valley bottom, an average of 20cm at 2400m, with one station reporting 30cm. Western regions received significantly more than the eastern side of the forecast area. Strong to extreme winds have stripped windward and ridge features down to bare scree, while loading lee and cross-loaded terrain. Expect to find freshly formed wind slabs at treeline and above. The recently buried Dec 7 crust layer seems isolated through the terrain, found mostly on solar aspects. This layer hasn't yet produced any new avalanche activity, but will be one to watch. Snowpack depths at treeline average 70cm, which is on the lower end of average for this time of year. Generally the snowpack is weak and facetted. The Nov and Oct rain crusts are steadily deteriorating into layers of facets.
Weather Summary
Sunday night will produce our coldest temperature in a while with the mercury dropping to near -18C! Monday should be mainly sunny with light to moderate NW winds and a high temp near -8C. No new snow is expected for Monday or Tuesday.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
- If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
- Use conservative route selection and resist venturing into complex terrain.
- Avoid steep terrain that is rocky and thin.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Strong to extreme winds have loaded lee and cross-loaded terrain. Multiple layers of "laminated" wind slabs are evident in Alpine and Treeline terrain. Reactivity of these different wind slabs is highly variable.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5
Persistent Slabs
The Oct and Nov crusts are faceting, which may mean that persistent slabs are more reactive to human triggering. If triggered the surface wind slabs may step down to this layer.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely - Very Likely
Expected Size: 1.5 - 2.5