Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Feb 13 – 15, 2023Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Our neighbours to the North (BNP) are seeing increased natural and skier accidental activity up to size 3. Although they have more snow in there region we are all dealing with very similar snowpack structure. Be cautious out there!

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Open slopes at treeline and alpine areas look plump and ready for a trigger. Low angle terrain is still key.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    Thin areas are where this layer will be easiest to trigger. Be thinking about wide propagations as the snowpack above is more cohesive than before.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new

Snowpack Summary

Treeline and alpine windslabs continue to be the main avalanche concern in terms of "triggerability". They are improving with the the relatively warm temperatures, but still expect to find reactive pockets in steep and/or convex terrain. In terms of consequence, the dreaded Nov 5 facets still have a firm grip on the low probability/high consequence title. Some of our neighbours to the west have seen failures on this layer, which suggest loading is a critical factor in when this layer will fail.

Weather Summary

Trace amounts of snow tonight and tomorrow. Winds will finally let up a bit and be Northwest 15km/h. The sky's will remain cloudy with partial sunny periods. Day time highs will be slightly cooler with -13

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Be aware of the potential for surprisingly large avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.

Regions covered