Jasper

Weather forecasts show uncertainty in amount of snow that will fall in the next 24 hours.

Combined with loading winds, new snow may form windslabs with the potential to overload the weak layers at the base of the snowpack.

Yesterday the local ski hill triggered a size 2 avalanche failing on the basal deep persistent layer using explosives.

Several natural wind slab avalanches to size 2 as well as smaller loose dry avalanches were observed in the Icefields area on January 29th.

Incoming snow is falling on a variety of surfaces depending on location, including melt freeze crusts, sun crusts, hard wind slabs, and soft faceted snow. These overlie a generally weak and faceted mid-pack. At the bottom of the snowpack are the early season crusts, which are faceting and surrounded by large depth hoar. The snowpack is 70-130 cm in depth at tree line, and thins quickly below.

Saturday

Cloudy with sunny periods. Precipitation: Up to 10mm. Alpine temperature: High -8 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 15 km/h gusting to 45 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Alpine temperature: Low -30 °C, High -17 °C. Ridge wind light to 15 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Sunny with cloudy periods. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -28 °C, High -20 °C. Ridge wind east: 10 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

• Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present in the snowpack.
• If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.