Due to the incoming storm and possibly 90cm by Friday, Highway 93 from Athabasca falls to Saskatchewan crossing is scheduled to be closed Tuesday at noon. Models do not agree on amounts and timing but it looks like an atmospheric river is coming with high potential for a lot of rain at lower elevations.
A 40-80cm slab already exists sitting atop the Jan 24th weak layer of facets and surface hoar. A lot more volume on top of this is expected to arrive by Friday likely overloading many slopes.
Expect a storm slab problem to develop rapidly especially if we get a meter of new snow by Friday.
Some weather models show potential freezing levels rising to 2600m over the next few days. Wet loose avalanches could initiate high and run far. Snow turning to rain can also instantly initiate natural activity.
Monday's Icefield afternoon road patrol was stormy, windy, and poor visibility thus no new naturals observed. Sunday's patrol near Mount Morden Long, near Sunwapta station, observed nothing notable with excellent visibility yet whumphing occurred up to 1800m. Avalanche control at Parker Ridge on March 12th produced a few surface wind slabs up to size 2.
At the time of writing, it is snowing adding 6cm to what was previously either scoured terrain or leeward wind slabs. It will continue snowing until Friday possibly bringing 90cm. A persistent weak layer of surface hoar and facets is buried 20-80 cm but overall the snowpack is generally well consolidated with facets near the ground. Average snow depths for Icefields is 130-200 cm and Maligne is 60-140 cm.
Monday night will bring 13 cm of snow, -6 °C, and 55 km/h Southwest winds. Tuesday it will snow 14cm. Wednesday could have another 20cm plus 75km/hr winds, then 27cm on Thursday, and 12cm on Friday. Freezing levels will reach 2300m or higher meaning some of this will be rain.
