Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 25th, 2017 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 Deep Persistent Slabs.

mike.koppang, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Conservative decision making is key right now. Forecasters are still avoiding large overhead terrain that hasn't released. When the sun comes out, stability can decrease quickly, especially on solar aspects.

Summary

Confidence

High - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Weather Forecast

A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries.Precipitation: Trace.Alpine temperature: High -7 Â°C.Ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h.Freezing level: 1600 metres.

Avalanche Summary

A few loose dry avalanches up to sz 1 were observed out of steep unskiable terrain on Saturday.Â No new slab avalanche activity was observed.

Snowpack Summary

10-15cm overnight on Friday and another 4-5cm of snow throughout the day on Saturday combined with moderate westerly winds at higher elevations is creating new windslabs along ridgelines and in crossloaded features in alpine and treeline terrain.Â These new windslabs are overlying a settled midpack that is overlying a very weak facetted base in most areas.Â Thin weak areas are the likely areas where one may trigger the deeper instabilities and cause a large destructive avalanche.Â Natural avalanche activity has began to taper off but many slopes are still primed for a large avalanche.Â Use caution around terrain that has not yet released.Â

Problems

Wind Slabs

Windslabs are being encountered in isolated areas at Treeline and more widespread in the Alpine. Ridgelines, gullies and crossloaded features should be treated with caution and in steeper terrain avoided.

Avoid freshly wind loaded features.Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 3

Deep Persistent Slabs

Forecasters are still avoiding overhead hazard that has not yet released and being very conservative in bigger terrain.

Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could easily trigger the deep persistent slab.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Valid until: Mar 26th, 2017 2:00PM