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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 6th, 2022–Apr 7th, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
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.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Kananaskis.

A big rise in hazard on Thursday due to the sunny and warm conditions. Start early and finish early.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Thursday will bring a big warmup with daytime highs around +3C at Treeline elevations. It will be mostly sunny with light SW winds. Friday will be similar, but a bit windier.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new today.

Snowpack Summary

An average of 20cm of recent storm snow is found at Treeline, which remains dry and low density on polar aspects, and turning moist on solar aspects at lower elevations. The storm snow appears well bonded to the layers below, but isolated pockets of wind slab are found in the Alpine. With the expected sunny and warm conditions on Thursday all solar aspects and lower elevation terrain will experience significant moist snow conditions.

Terrain and Travel

  • Pay attention to isolated alpine features as well as cross-loaded features at treeline.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and wind exposure.
  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.
  • Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

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.