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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 30th, 2021–Dec 31st, 2021

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

Regions

Kananaskis.

Windslabs are evident in Alpine features along gullies and in crossloaded terrain. The Sun is your friend on these cold days so plan to be on Solar aspects!

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Winds will be mostly light on Friday with no new snow expected. Temperatures will remain cool with daytime highs around -19C expected. Plan your trips to be in the sun for the better part of the day! No new snow is expected this week. 

Avalanche Summary

A few loose dry slides on north aspects up to sz 1. 

Snowpack Summary

Wind affect in alpine areas can be seen. In some areas it is more extensive than others with dense windslabs up to 20cm thick. These slabs are in crossloaded features and along ridgelines. At treeline the slabs are much less prominent. Be careful in steep unsupported features where a smaller windslab may be reactive to a skier. Thinner areas are starting to facet out and loose strength but overall the snowpack is handling the cooler temperatures well and remains mostly supportive. Steep north facing terrain is producing loose dry sluffing in the upper snowpack as it weakens.  

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.

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.