Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 7th, 2023–Apr 8th, 2023

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 unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

With a lack of recovery overnight, valley bottom skiing is very catchy and feels like suction cups on your feet. Sunday will see a storm move through the region and forecast models show up to 30cm by Tuesday.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Thanks for a great MIN report on the Tent ridge. On a drive of the spray today no new avalanches were observed. However continued evidence of larger deep persistent avalanches should give you pause when attempting larger features.

Snowpack Summary

Temperatures remained above zero for the last 24 hours at mud lake. We expect limited additional crust development on all but due south aspects. We are at the time of year when it's hard to nail down specific layers. In a more general (and applicable) sense, we have a collection of crusts in the top 1/3 of the snowpack with a known persistent facet problem lingering mid pack on north aspects. And of course, our old friend, the Nov 17 facet layer is still lingering down deep on all aspects. It's bit of a complex situation. The defense strategy? Well, given recent avalanche activity, it's still best to dodge the problem all together and avoid bigger/steeper terrain. Beyond that, dig or probe as you travel to give a better sense of distribution.

Weather Summary

Saturday. The winds will pick up in to the strong range out of the SW. Day time highs of -6 and cloudy with sunny periods. Freezing levels to rise to 1800m

Sunday-Tuesday however is an anticipated 30cm.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.
Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.

Problems

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.

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.