Kananaskis

Conflicting forecasts will force us all to pay attention to how much snow we actually get, and how that new snow is affecting the snowpack. Hazard ratings could vary from this forecast if we get more or less snow than expected. Continually assess conditions as you travel.

Nothing today, but visibility was poor.

Continued snow today has brought the storm snow totals to about 20cm at treeline. Alpine winds have been steady in the moderate to strong range and have continued to build wind slabs in lee features. Expect slabs up to 40cm thick in the alpine. and 20-30 at treeline. The new slabs will be sitting on old surfaces and seem to be sticking well. The mid November crust is now down 50-60 on average and is starting to lose its concrete like character.

Models differ a little bit when it comes to snow amounts. In general we can expect another 9-18cm of snow tonight, stopping in the early morning. Winds will be gusty as the snow tapers. These gusty winds will signal a mild cooling trend with day time temperatures falling to the -10 range. As the cooler air comes in, ridge winds will remain reasonably steady at 30 km/hr and the gusts will subside.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid areas with overhead hazard.
• Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy snowfall.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.