Avalanche Forecast
Kananaskis Country, Alberta Parks
Great skiing right now with the new snow. Sluffing is a real hazard and watch for localized wind slab development at higher elevations.
Avalanche Problem 1: Loose Dry
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain.
- The new snow will require several days to settle and stabilize.
- On steep slopes, pull over periodically or cut into a new line to manage sluffing.
Avalanche Problem 2: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Both recently formed and recently buried wind slabs are present in the Alpine on all aspects, and in isolated spots at Treeline. With the increased snow load, these slabs are now more sensitive to triggering.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Avoid steep lee and cross-loaded slopes
Avalanche Summary
Loose dry avalanches continue to occur in steep terrain at all elevations and on all aspects. These slides are generally size 1.5 or smaller, but are running a far distance in some terrain features.
Snowpack Summary
Another 10 to 15cm of new snow overnight brings the storm snow total to 40 to 50cm. This snow is mostly still low density in nature except in the high Alpine and in wind prone areas. Expect to find slabs on all aspects in the Alpine that have either been recently formed, or formed earlier in the storm and are now buried. At Treeline and below the Dec 15th surface hoar layer is buried between 40 and 60cm deep and is failing in loose dry avalanches, but not yet as a slab due the lack of an overlying cohesive layer. With increased winds this could change. Recent snowpits are showing that the November crusts are faceting, but these layers have not been active as an avalanche problem.
Weather Forecast
Sunday will be sunny with cloudy periods and no new snow. Temperatures are finally beginning to moderate, and after another cold night the daytime high should be a comparably pleasant -13 °C at higher elevations. Ridge top winds will be out of the west at 15 km/h. As the week progresses temperatures will continue to moderate with highs near 0°C by Wednesday or Thursday.
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Lots of recent snow is leading to sluffing in steep terrain at all elevations. Some of these slides are running surprisingly far. Ice climbers should be particularly cautious with this problem.