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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 1st, 2018–Feb 2nd, 2018

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

Regions

Kananaskis.

Even though the snowpack appears to be getting better, we have little confidence to explore into bigger terrain.

Confidence

-

Weather Forecast

Friday is to bring a mix of sunny skies with isolated flurries.  Alpine temperatures will be around -7c with west winds 50-60km/h.  More snow on the way for Saturday.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed on our snow study flight.

Snowpack Summary

We had an extensive look around k-country today by helicopter, dug several pits and did not see any avalanche activity.  There is evidence of a lot of wind slab in the alpine and tree line. The January 6 surface hoar layer is down around 60-70cm and is still producing moderate test results but not as widespread as previous.  The December 15 SH is still very obvious in the snowpack and is found about 90cm down but in general not producing test results in our snow pits. The big concern though is that this interface is weak and if anything is triggered in the upper snowpack, it would likely step down to the Dec 15 layer.

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.

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.