Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 17th, 2013 8:45AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs.

burke.duncan, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Chinook winds have been raging in all elevation zones Thursday with intense wind transport of now occurring. Look for windslabs to become increasingly sensitive to human triggering in the Alpine over the next few days.

Summary

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Continued warm and windy for another day. Daytime highs approaching zero degrees with some concern for daytime heating issues on steep southerly aspects during sunny periods. No new precip in the forecasts for the next few days.

Avalanche Summary

Xe on small slopes in Elk Pass area BTL produced no results. One Size 1 moist sluff on S asp 2300m - isolated event.

Snowpack Summary

HSL forming in ALP/TL due to intense chinook wind conditions. Windward slopes being stripped bare with X westerly flow in all elevation zones. Constant spindrift in steep lee terrain. Isolated patches of 130106 SH found in areas BTL still- still reactive during control work.

Problems

Wind Slabs

30-40cm thick windslabs are being encountered on north to southeast aspects at treeline and above. The stiffness of these slabs will have increased with the extreme winds at higher elevations. Expect larger propagation if hard slabs are triggered.

Avoid cross loaded features.>Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>Be very cautious with gully features.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 4

Valid until: Jan 18th, 2013 2:00PM