Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

May 13th, 2014–May 14th, 2014

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Travel conditions are generally good. Some of the bigger ski-mountaineering objectives and traverses are seeing traffic. Timing is everything - start early and finish early to avoid exposure to Spring-time avalanche activity and isothermal snow.

Confidence

Good - Freezing levels are uncertain

Weather Forecast

Avalanche Summary

Daily avalanche activity occurs once the snowpack heats up with inputs from solar radiation, daytime warming and/or rain. Most of these slides are loose wet avalanches, but there is a possibility for deep slab releases on the basal weak layers. This will be more of an issue during periods of prolonged warming coupled with poor overnight freezes.

Snowpack Summary

Crusts are prevalent on all aspects at all elevations as the Spring-time transition continues. The only exception is higher elevation North aspects which hold dry powder as each spring storm rolls through and deposits more snow. These deposits of new snow are typically bonding well and settle rapidly. Crusts break down through the day at varying times depending on aspect, elevation, solar radiation intensity and daytime heating. Isothermal conditions are found at lower elevations on the warmer days and/or during rain events. Cornices are sagging and become weak during each day's melt cycle. There still has not yet been a widespread Spring avalanche cycle, but this is expected to occur if and when the region experiences a period of prolonged warming coupled with poor overnight freezes.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.