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

Dec 10th, 2021–Dec 11th, 2021

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Snow and winds tomorrow will bump up the hazard at all elevations. Be prepared for rapid changes and watch for increasing hazard if snow amounts are more than expected.

Confidence

Low -

Weather Forecast

All forecasts say we will get almost 20cm of snow tomorrow. It looks like steady snow all day with 8cm by noon Saturday, and 20 by Sunday morning. Very high winds will precede the storm and remain more or less constant throughout the day tomorrow. Ridgetop winds will be about 50km/hr and from the SW. As for the temperatures, they will creep up during the day with a high of -6.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new was noted today. There was some very isolated cracking within the new windslabs, but nothing moved. 

Snowpack Summary

Light snow and moderate SW winds at treeline and above have created new windslabs. So far they are about 15cm thick seem to be bonding well. As expected, the crust disappears around 2150m and feels like it is breaking down slightly. A quick profile at 2100m had it down 30cm and hints of faceting immediately above the crust. 

Terrain and Travel

  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.

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.

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.