KANANASKIS – The avalanche hazard in Kananaskis Country went from about as safe as it could get to about as dangerous as it could be within 12 hours.
A major snowstorm that began Monday night (April 29) and is expected to dump up to 60 centimetres of snow in certain locations in K-Country by the time it ends Wednesday, May 1, now means avalanche conditions are “very dangerous”.
Avalanche Canada is asking outdoor enthusiasts to avoid the backcountry until the high hazard has diminished.
“Patience is the game here; wait for the new snow to settle and bond before venturing into the backcountry,” states the association on its website.
Avalanche experts say this new snow will now be sitting on top of a mostly firm or melt/freeze crust everywhere and will likely lead to big slides, especially on steeper terrain.
“This new snow will likely form a soft slab with the warmer temperatures or a wind slab with the forecast winds,” states Avalanche Canada
“Both of these slabs will be sensitive to triggering and have the potential to propagate far.”
For now, the avalanche hazard in K-Country is rated high in the alpine, at treeline and below treeline for Tuesday (April 20) and Wednesday, May 1. The hazard dropped to considerable on Thursday, May 2
A high avalanche rating means natural avalanches are likely and human-triggered slides are very likely. The avalanches will run large in many areas, or very large in specific areas.
Although a big snowstorm ended Tuesday morning after dumping through the night, a second round of heavy snow is expected to begin later on Tuesday and continue through Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.
Snowfall will get lighter through Wednesday night, before finally tapering off to flurries on Thursday evening.
