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

Nov 25th, 2021–Nov 26th, 2021

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 possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Not sure if I should say snow and wind, or wind and snow. But in either case, we will be getting both over the next few days. With warm snow and high winds, slabs will build quickly. Keep an eye (and ear) out for what's going on above you as you ski or climb.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed today.

Snowpack Summary

I feel like I've written this before...

The recent winds have caused some problems for our alpine and treeline snowpack. Windslabs of various thickness/hardness are basically everywhere, yet they seem to be variable enough to keep the skiing challenging. Treeline has an average depth of 80-100cm. The crust fades away above 2100m, but still offers a supportive midpack with no widespread failure layers. 

Terrain and Travel

  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine features.
  • Winter conditions may exist in gullies, alpine bowls, and around ridgelines.
  • Ice climbers should be equipped with avalanche safety gear.

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.