Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 19th, 2018 3:00PM

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

jeremy.mackenzie, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Temperatures are expected to be cool, but avalanche hazard will rise on sunny slopes during even short exposure to the intense March sun. Look to sheltered northerly aspects for better quality skiing.

Summary

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Weather models are in poor agreement, but it is most likely that Tuesday will be mostly cloudy with a few sunny periods and occasional flurries. Alpine temperatures will climb to near -7 °C, with ridge-top winds out of the west at 20km/h. Freezing levels is forecast to reach 1800m. Wednesday and Thursday look to be very similar in terms of weather.

Avalanche Summary

Several loose dry avalanches up to size 1.5 in steep Alpine terrain on all aspects.

Snowpack Summary

New snow amounts are highly variable depending on drainage and elevation, with some areas receiving as much as 20cm of low density in the past 24 hours. This new snow sluffs easily in steep terrain in the Alpine on all aspects, and is running further on aspects that have a buried crust under the recent snow. Multiple buried sun or melt-freeze crusts now exist on most aspects with only sheltered northerly aspects escaping this condition. Variable wind slab conditions in upper Alpine on lee and cross-loaded features, but slab avalanche activity has tapered off in the past 48hrs.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind slabs should be expected in alpine terrain along ridgelines and in gully features. These slabs do not appear to extend far downslope.

Give cornices a wide berth when traveling on ridges.Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Loose Dry

The loose dry problem should moderate somewhat by Tuesday, but any time there is intense solar radiation watch for loose wet avalanches out of solar aspects.

Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Valid until: Mar 20th, 2018 2:00PM