Avalanche Forecast
Kananaskis Country, Alberta Parks
Conditions are slowly improving but there still is concern for the December 15 layer down about 60cm.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid steep lee and cross-loaded slopes
- Avoid freshly wind loaded features.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
This layer is 50-70cm down. Take the time to dig and assess this layer as it is sitting on top of facets.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Evaluate unsupported slopes critically.
- Avoid open slopes and convex rolls at treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
- Dig down to find and test weak layers before committing to a line.
Avalanche Summary
One avalanche size 2 observed today in extreme terrain on Mt. Sir Douglas. It is possible it was cornice triggered. Some whumphing today when ski touring.
Snowpack Summary
Went into the Burstall Pass area today. Wind effect in the alpine. Moist snow on solar aspects which quickly froze once the sun disappeared. The Jan 6th surface hoar seems quite spotty in distribution, and is not overly reactive to ski cutting in areas skied today. The main concern in the upper snowpack is the Dec 15th interface (surface hoar, sun crust or 10cm layer of facets) which is now buried 50 to 70cm at Treeline and in the alpine.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday will bring sunny periods with isolated flurries. Freezing level is forecast to be 2000m with SW winds of km/h. Also to note that there will be a weak temperature inversion so the alpine will be warmer than the valley bottom.
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A variety of wind slab conditions are found in the Alpine. Human triggering is possible in steep and unsupported terrain.