Kananaskis

Happy New Year!! 2022 will be off to a cold, and hopefully sunny start tomorrow. If you're spending your holiday outside, enjoy the sun and good travel. Don't forget the down coat! We haven't shaken this cold snap just yet.

Alpine winds will increase over the day tomorrow. By noon ridge winds could be 50km/hr out of the west. Summit elevations will see 80km+. Temperatures will once again be cold, -25 or so to start the day with a high of -20. No snow.

Nothing new today, but observations were limited.

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.  

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