Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 30th, 2022–Dec 1st, 2022

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.

Early season conditions are still present along with a generally weak snowpack. Human triggering is quite likely and conservative route finding is highly recommended.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed today in the Highwood Pass area.

Snowpack Summary

A few cm's fell on Wednesday to add to our 30-40cm of storm snow that sits on top of the basal facets. Some wind slabs are present near ridge lines and cross loaded gullies.

We generally have a weak snowpack with the base consisting of 40cm of facets. This will be on our radar for some time to come and continue to be a concern for triggering.

Weather Summary

Thursday will start off at -22c and warm up to a balmy -12c. Skies will be a mixed bag of sun and cloud. Winds are expected to be light out of the SW.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Loose avalanches may start small but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Ice climbers should be equipped with avalanche safety gear.

Problems

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

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.