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 28th, 2020–Dec 29th, 2020

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Watch for buried wind slabs on all aspects at higher elevations. Dig and explore the slab properties often as there is a lot of variability in the region's snowpack.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Tuesday will be mainly sunny with light NW winds. Cold temperatures overnight with a daytime high near -11 at Treeline. Wednesday may bring some light flurries, but accumulations will be minimal.

Avalanche Summary

Isolated loose dry avalanches up to size 1 were observed in steeper Alpine terrain on N and E aspects.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 15cm of recent snow overlies a variety of previous surfaces. This surface snow is soft and fluffy in some areas, and wind affected in others, especially as you transition to the Alpine. Extensive wind slabs were formed in the pre-Christmas storm, and it is worth noting that the storm arrived with extreme Northerly winds, which switched to extreme SW winds in the following days. Therefore, the region has buried wind slabs on virtually all aspects. The depth and character of these slabs is highly variable, and it is worth a dig before committing to more aggressive terrain. Forecasters are still tracking the Dec 8th layer (surface hoar, facets, crust) now down 40 to 80cm, but this layer has been inactive in recent days. The November rain crust is also worth keeping an eye on, as it has been responsible for a few recent large avalanches.

Terrain and Travel

  • Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
  • Avoid convexities, steep unsupported terrain and rocky outcroppings.
  • Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain.
  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Seek out wind sheltered terrain below treeline where you can avoid wind slabs and find great riding.

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.