Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 29th, 2023–Dec 30th, 2023

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, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

Pro: The weather is friendly and forgiving with warm temperatures and little wind.

Con: The travel is rough going pretty much anywhere.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new observed in the last couple of days.

Snowpack Summary

Today's adventure took us up to 2300m in the Dog Leg area. Lots of wind effect in the alpine. It looks like nothing has been spared from the winds of the last week. It felt as though the Dec 6th crust was up to 2300m, but to be honest, given the travel conditions, it was hard to not be on a bulletproof windslab. At treeline, we did notice a series of windslabs that have built up over top of the crust. These were mostly in immediate lee areas, and mildly concerning given what's underneath. It seems the crust is breaking down quickly given the shallow snowpack. Up to about 2000m we were breaking through in open areas. Between 2000m and 2300m it was supportive, but much thinner than last week.

Weather Summary

Not much changing in our weather pattern these days. Tomorrow will be a carbon copy of today. Morning low of -5, high of -2. Light winds from the SW and no snow.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

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.