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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 19th, 2020–Feb 20th, 2020

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

Regions

Kananaskis.

Weather forecasts are inconsistent with how clear the skies will be for the next couple of days. During sunny periods avoid exposure to steep solar aspects and don't hang out below cornices.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Thursday should be a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching around -5 in the Alpine. Winds will steadily increase through the day, eventually reaching 75km/h from the West. Friday will also be windy.

Avalanche Summary

Isolated solar triggered sluffing up to size 1.0 on steep solar aspetcs.

Snowpack Summary

Expect to find moist snow on sheltered solar aspects, particularly at lower elevations. This will freeze into a thin crust by morning. Alpine areas are exhibiting widely variable wind slab conditions with everything from no wind effect to hard wind slabs to sastrugi. At Treeline and below soft snow and good skiing can be found in sheltered areas.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Avoid shallow snowpack areas, rock outcroppings and steep convex terrain where triggering is most likely.
  • Conditions may have improved, but be mindful that deep instabilities are still present.
  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.
  • Avoid exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.