Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Mar 4 – 5, 2021Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

It sure felt like spring today! It warmed up significantly today, there will be a new crust on sunny aspects. Expect another warm day tomorrow. Travel early, finish early and anticipate a quick deterioration in the snowpack when the warmth arrives. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1.5–3

    The alpine looks loaded and has new and old buried wind slabs. Take the time to evaluate these.

    .

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Expect cornices to become weak and collapse with the incoming heat and solar radiation. 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–3

    Rapid warning and settlement in the upper snowpack is making this interface that was dormant more reactive of late. Solar aspects are good places to avoid and let the slope stabilize as it adjust to this new input of solar radiation.  

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

After a warm day on Thursday, we can expect a slight re-freeze tonight, followed by another warm day tomorrow. The overnight low will be around -5, and by noon temperatures will approach zero. Blue skies will stick around for Friday and winds will be light from the SW. Later in the wee we are expecting some snow.

Avalanche Summary

A few small loose wet avalanches on EEOR today. Mt Sparrowhawk had a more notable sz2 loose wet on a southern aspect.

Snowpack Summary

Given the warm day, expect a crust on southern aspects and possibly even western aspects. Recent snow from earlier in the week is settling. This snow is overlying a windslab down 10-20cm that was seeing some isolated cracking today in the Aster lake area. Deeper in the snowpack there are two layers that we are following closely. The Feb 19th Facets down 40-60cm and the Jan 29th interface down 60-100cm. Windslabs (buried and near the surface) in the upper snowpack are likely to step down to one of these layers that are within the top meter. These layers are subtle at treeline but very pronounced in the Alpine. Dig down and assess these layers. Forecasters today avoided big slopes in the alpine due to windslabs over these interfaces. Moist snow was also found up to 2000m by midday.  

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain.
  • Pay attention to isolated alpine features as well as cross-loaded features at treeline.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
  • Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet

Regions covered