Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Regions
South Rockies.
A rapid shift to warm, sunny conditions will increase the range of avalanche problems as well as their potential for reactivity.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Thursday: Mainly sunny with valley cloud due to an alpine temperature inversion. Light northwest winds. Freezing level to around 3300 metres with alpine temperatures of +4. Cooler temperatures at lower elevations.Friday: Mainly sunny with some valley cloud due to lingering temperature inversion. Light west winds. Freezing level to about 3300 metres with alpine temperatures to +5. Cooler at lower elevations.Saturday: A mix of sun and cloud. Light west winds increasing in the afternoon. Freezing level to about 3300 metres with alpine temperatures of +4. Cooler at lower elevations.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported from this region. There is potential for triggering wind slabs on leeward and crossloaded slopes. Smaller avalanches may also step down and trigger larger avalanches on buried weak layers deeper in the snowpack. Please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Average snowpack depths at upper elevations in the region range from about 50-100 cm. Shifting winds over the past few days have extended wind slab formation to a wide range of aspects at treeline and above. Below the surface, the two crusts that were buried near the end of November can now be found approximately 30 cm and 60 cm down. A third crust from the end of October exists as a "facet/crust" combo near the base of the snowpack. Snowpack testing in the adjacent Kananaskis Country forecast region has yielded hard but sudden results on this layer.
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.
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.