Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Jan 27 – 28, 2015Alberta Parks
View on map
Archived · expired 12 years ago

Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

Wind slabs in the Alpine and open areas at Treeline remain the principal concern, but also keep an eye on the solar radiation effect on steep sunny slopes. Ski quality remains poor due to widespread crusts and wind effected snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Wind slabs dominate Alpine areas and open areas at Treeline. These slabs are most concerning on steep N and E aspects. Due to the density of the wind slabs wide propagations are possible.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3
    Much cooler temperatures on Wednesday will reduce avalanche activity on solar aspects, but loose wet avalanches remain a possibility. Keep a close eye on steep features that face the sun and avoid this terrain later in the day.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–4
    The mid-December layer (buried 35 to 50cm) and the weak November basal layers are still reactive in stability tests. Avalanche activity in the last several days has stepped down to these interfaces.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

A mix of sun and cloud on Wednesday with highs near -6 in the Alpine. Winds will shift to the NW and diminish in speed significantly. No precipitation is expected until at least Saturday.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new today. Minor snowballing observed on steep solar aspects.

Snowpack Summary

Cooler overnight temperatures formed thick crusts on the snowpack at lower elevations and thinner crusts at Treeline elevations. These crusts were breaking down on steep solar aspects by midday. The snowpack continues to settle with the mild weather. Wind slabs are dominant in Alpine areas and open areas at Treeline, especially on N and E aspects. Test results at 2180m today indicate shears down 10 to 20cm in the easy to moderate range and hard shears on the mid-December layer down 35 to 50cm (depending on aspect and elevation). The November weak basal layers remain a concern.

Regions covered