Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 2nd, 2024–Apr 3rd, 2024

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

High freezing levels and extreme winds have taken away the good skiing for now. Rain/snow and winds will continue for the next several days and make backcountry travel less than ideal. Let the snow fall, and the temps drop, and by the end of the week, we will see nice ski quality once again

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche observed today, but field teams were out of the field before the day really warmed up. +5 in the field at 2300m today.

Snowpack Summary

The warmth is taking its toll. Snow on all aspects and elevations other then true North in the alpine is becoming moist during the warmth of the day and forming a slight melt freeze crust during the cool periods of the night. Strong to extreme winds have stripped all windward aspects and built windslabs in the Lee's. These winds have crept down in to treeline elevations on Tuesday.

Weather Summary

Tuesday evening: Mainly cloudy with rain & snow. Winds will continue in the extreme range out of the SW (55km/h-80km/h). Freezing levels overnight will stay elevated to 2300m

Wednesday will see mostly cloudy skies and continued strong to extreme winds out of the SW. Freezing levels will remain around 2300m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Fresh wind slabs will likely form throughout the day, diligently watch for changing conditions.
Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
Conditions may have improved, but be mindful that deep instabilities are still present.
The more the snowpack warms-up and weakens, the more conservative you`ll want to be with your terrain selection.
Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.