Avalanche Forecast
Kananaskis Country, Alberta Parks
Surprisingly good skiing in sheltered alpine & treeline areas today. Near the divide seems to have the deepest snow. There were some small sluffs today in steep terrain. These could be a problem in larger terrain features.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for areas of hard wind slab in steep alpine features.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading has created wind slabs.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
The new crusts are preventing the deeper layers from disturbance. Remember, in shallow areas it is still possible to trigger the deeper layers.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious in shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations.
Avalanche Summary
A few small skier triggered loose dry sluffs in steep terrain.
Snowpack Summary
In the alpine the winds have blown the available snow around and in some places exposed the crust, and in others, lee areas have been filled in. From our experiences, the Nov 26th crust is widespread up to 2600m. We haven't been above that elevation, but its thought the crust extends well into the alpine. The blown in areas are wind slabs of various densities. Some areas are very soft slabs, and others are dense and more reactive to skier triggering. Treeline is a similar story, however the crust is consistently buried below 50cm of snow. Total snow height at treeline is 130-140cm The crust is very solid and currently bridging the weaker lower layers. Interestingly, today's snow pit had moist snow from ground up to the base of the November crusts.
Weather Forecast
The winds will calm down a little more over the next few days. Tomorrow will see 35km/hr SW winds at ridgetop. Only trace amounts of snow in the next 24-36 hours, Temperatures will be consistent at -10 in the alpine. The three day outlook is consistent with scattered cloud and SW wind.
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Windslabs of varying densities near ridges, in gullies, and in areas with downflow winds. As always, steep convex terrain should be approached with caution. These may initiate on the Nov crusts or interfaces between slabs.