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Backcountry Avalanche Report

Last Avalanche Report Entered On : Friday, November 20, 2009 4:15:00 PM

Report Valid For Period Starting : Saturday, November 21, 2009 until further notice.

This report is for backcountry terrain only. Skiing conditions for facility areas are not included in this report.
For current trail conditions please see our Trail Reports.

Avalanche Danger ScaleSaturdaySundayMonday
AlpineConsiderableConsiderableModerate
TreelineModerateModerateModerate
Below TreelineLowLowLow

Discussion:

The new snow that fell through the week has suffered the wrath of the winds and all is not well.  Most windward aspects have been stripped bare again and the storm snow has been redistributed into the same gully and bowl features that we have talked about most of the month.  South-westerly winds raged through the storm on Thursday and overnight…by Friday morning, all but the most sheltered areas were heavily wind sculpted.  Winds were sustained at over 100km/h for several hours. During the day on Friday, the wind flow was predominately from the south and while the AM saw calm to moderate winds, by the afternoon wind speeds were increasing and some snow could be seen blowing along ridgetops.

Mild temperatures are encouraging rapid settlement and strength gains within the storm snow.  Field tests on a northerly aspect at treeline identified a soft slab 30+cm thick that failed during testing.  Further testing produced a failure at the base of the snowpack where a thin layer of facets is associated with the October crust.  These weaknesses will be most susceptible to skier triggering in areas where the snowpack is thin so look to ski on well supported slopes and avoid exposure to steep, loaded slopes.

Recent wind action has obliterated a lot of the evidence of recent slide activity but two signifigant slab releases on northerly aspects in the alpine were observed.

Weather over the next couple of days will see daytime highs rising close to zero with some flurries expected.  The mild temperatures will encourage further settlement within the snowpack and new snowfall is not expected to add much in the way of additional loading.

Backcountry Travel Conditions:
In sheltered areas, very good skiing can be found.  Open areas are obviously wind affected and ski quality will vary.  Travel is easy with ski penetrations generally less than 20cm in untracked terrain.  Still a billion buried hazards to concern yourself with – avoid skiing into or over suspicious looking lumps.

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Important Notice:
Snowpack structure and stability information is determined from field analysis specific to snow study plot sites. Snowpack structure and stability will vary as you travel throughout mountainous terrain. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the backcountry traveller to be self-sufficient in being able to perform self-rescue should you, the traveller, be involved in an accident. Also, backcountry travellers are responsible for obtaining their own information concerning current weather conditions, snow, winds, snowfall, etc. and are responsible for educating themselves to the best possible awareness level.

For further information:

Peter Lougheed Park Visitor Centre:
403-591-6322
Barrier Information Visitor Centre:
403-673-3985
Canadian Avalanche Association:
www.avalanche.ca
Emergency 24/7:
403-591-7767 or 911
See our Avalanche Reports Archive here

ISSUED BY: bd

To report on conditions and avalanche observations, or incidents you may observe in Kananaskis Country please contact Avalanche.Safety@gov.ab.ca

 

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