Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Dec 17 – 18, 2021Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 5 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low

Highlights

Winds were a bit stronger than forecasted last night and today. If good skiing is the goal, look for sheltered areas that have preserved the better snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    These are a little more pronounced at treeline after today's winds. As usual, steep rolls will be likely trigger points.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Hopefully a bit warmer tonight with a low of -20 and a day time high of -12. Partly cloudy skies with a few flurries in the afternoon. Ridge winds will ramp up slightly during the day, topping out at 30km/hr from the SW

Avalanche Summary

Only a few small loose dry avalanches to size 1 on steep sunny slopes this afternoon.

Snowpack Summary

A flight through the region today gave us a good look at the alpine and treeline areas. It appears as though the wind has scoured many open or exposed areas. Not a lot of exposed gravel yet, but lots of rough looking snow surfaces out there. Beneath that, there's not a lot of change to the snowpack as a whole. The Dec 1st crust (down 60-80cm) is our main layer to watch as it breaks down and builds facets. Windslabs are also on the radar, but they will produce relatively small avalanches and they tend to be more isolated in nature.

Terrain and Travel

  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Avoid steep, unsupported slopes.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.

Regions covered