Kananaskis

We are in the deep freeze. Extra clothing, equipment and choosing objectives with sun may make the outing more bearable. The snowpack continues to suffer from the ongoing cold temps this winter.

No field teams out today, and no reports of avalanche activity.

Like the rest of the region, there isn't a lot of snow. We have 85cm at treeline and the odd pocket of 1m. What really caught our attention was the snowpack variability based on elevation. The surface hoar from last month is very prominent up to about 2100m. This layer will vary from area to area, but be sure to have a look for it as it is notable. The other general statement is how weak and poor the regional snowpack is. There is a theme of a somewhat settled upper snowpack resting on a foundation of facets and growing depth hoar. Where the snowpack failures occur seems to vary in depth, but the failures are very, very consistent in their character. They are failing fast, with little warning. It's easy to get caught up in the semantics of layer types and descriptions, but at the end of the day we have a nasty weak layer that is predictably failing. Do your homework, dig your holes and be sure you have a good grip on your local terrain before you commit to consequential terrain.

Cold Cold Cold.

Lows of -35 and Day time highs of -28 for the next several days. There may be some sun appearing and the wind thankfully will be light.

No new snow to speak of..

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
• Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.