Kananaskis

Cold temperatures are arriving for the weekend. Keep a keen eye out for windslabs as you move into more open treeline terrain and be prepared to adjust your route accordingly.

Numerous loose dry sluffs up to sz 1 were observed throughout the region in Alpine terrain. Forecasters were able to remotely trigger a sz 1.5 thin windslabs while travelling along a ridge at 2400m on Friday.

No new large slab avalanches were observed.

15cm of snow fell overnight on the 25th with light to moderate SW winds.

Buried wind slabs and fresh windslabs from the snow over the past week are widespread in the alpine and on lee and cross-loaded features at treeline. Be sure to dig down an evaluate this potential and always be feeling with your pole and skis for that hollow feeling indicating you are on a supportive windslab. The November crust is now down 130-180cm, and is showing signs of faceting around this crust layer. Recent avalanches in the upper snowpack have stepped down to this interface producing large destructive avalanches.

As the cooler temperatures push in overnight we can expect 5-8cm of snow to fall then...back into the -20s for a day or two! Winds will be light and it will be a mix of sun and cloud throughout the day.

https://hpfx.collab.science.gc.ca/~fsg006/productviewer/ab/table/AB_Rockies_Forecast.html

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
• If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
• Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.