Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Nov 3 – 4, 2017Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 9 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
No rating
Treeline
No rating
Below
No rating
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Highlights

It's winter! This means its time to carry your avalanche safety gear and choose terrain wisely. We are reluctant to use hazard ratings due to our very limited field observations, but the current avalanche problems deserve attention.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Fresh wind slabs are likely to be found in gullies and other terrain features that held wind deposited snow from previous storms. Also look for slabs immediately below ridge-crest. As winds shift to the SW expect more widespread slab development.

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    This will be a problem in steep terrain. Early season ice climbers should watch for sluffing.

Confidence

-

Weather Forecast

A mix of sun and cloud is expected for Saturday with cool temperatures and light SW winds. Sunday will be similar, but with scattered light flurries.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing noted, but visibility was very limited.

Snowpack Summary

Prior to this current storm, we had 10-20cm of wind blown snow that began to fill gullies and alpine bowls. This most recent snow now sits on either bare ground, or these previously wind deposited gully and bowl features. Recent winds have been mostly from the north, expect freshly formed wind slabs on SE to SW aspects. Snow depths at 2200m range from 30 to 60cm. Sheltered areas and confined gullies are capable of loose dry sluffs in steep terrain.

Regions covered