Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 14th, 2014–Feb 15th, 2014

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Conditions are touchy at this time and LOTS of caution is advised. Pump the brakes before skiing down and be heads up while skining up. Shooting cracks, whumpfing and recent remote triggering indicates conditions are tricky. Video update

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

The storm that passed the region is expected to end on Friday night and then Saturday is expected to be mainly cloudy with Alpine temperature at -9C and westerly winds out of the southwest at 25-45km/hr. On sunday the next wave of precip is expected to hit giving us an additional 10-20cm.

Avalanche Summary

A few additional sz 2 avalanches were observed today. The majority of these avalanches were observed on easterly aspects and failing within the HST. Average fracture line depth was 70-90cm. We suspect there are more avalanches occuring but obscured conditions prevented up from having a good look around.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 50cm of recent storm snow is now being redistributed by available winds and forming windslabs up to 70cm thick in all open areas. These new windslabs are overlying 10-15cm of weak facetted grains. Easy sheers are being found at this interface and numerous whumpfs and shooting cracks were being observed throughout the day. As soon as one transitions into wind affected terrain at treeline, the snowpack stability greatly deteriorates.

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.