Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Feb 22 – 23, 2014Alberta Parks
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Yesterday's storm lacked the punch we expected. Lots of very appealing ski lines out there right now, but keep the terrain in check despite the high motivation. There's still potential for big avalanches.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    These are becoming more substantial with the wind transport and cooler temps. Watch for them as you approach open areas at treeline.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–4
    This is still the major concern for us right now. Conservative terrain choices are critical. Give big slopes a wide berth, particularly if they haven't avalanched. Whumphing and cracking have been the tell tale indicator of this weakness.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Not a lot of change coming our way. The temps will continue to fall, settling at -20 as the forecast high in the alpine tomorrow. Flurries with light winds and cloudy skies for tomorrow. Early next week will see clear skies. No snow for the next while, and, light winds...that's good news!

Avalanche Summary

The  past 24hr cycle mentioned yesterday was still evident today. A number of avalanches were noted at upper treeline elevations originating from crossloaded features. Most were size 2's.

Snowpack Summary

Light amounts from last nights front had little overall impact in the snowpack. The storm snow from last week has settled a considerable amount at treeline and alpine elevations. The weak Feb 11 layer is still very evident as a sliding surface at all elevations. Moderate winds have made the surface windslabs a touch stiffer, however no failures on this interface were noted today. There was a better overall feel to the storm snow and Feb 11 interface, however whumphing was still noted on a number of occasions today.

Regions covered