Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 18th, 2019 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Deep Persistent Slabs and Loose Dry.

jasper snow safety, Parks Canada

Jasper.

Manage your exposure and keep wary to evidence of localized instability such as cracking, whumphing and, recent avalanche activity.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Tuesday will be clouds with sun and isolated flurries, alpine temperature high -11 °C, and West 10-25 km/h winds. Wednesday will be a mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, alpine temperature low -20 °C and high -10 °C, Northeast 10-30 km/h winds. A detailed mountain weather forecast is available from Avalanche Canada.

Snowpack Summary

Cold temps have faceted the upper snowpack leaving a weak slab over a instability of surface hoar/facets on a crust down 40cm. The thicker spots have a strong mid-pack and bridges the deep persistent basal weakness of depth hoar. A thinner snow-pack can act as a slab initiating the basal facets and depth hoar in the lower part of the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

No patrol on Monday and nothing new reported. Saturday's field team in Whistler Creek had good ski conditions and no new avalanches in the zone. Recently numerous dry loose up to sz 1 have come out of steep, planar terrain across the forecast region.

Confidence

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

It is possible to trigger deep slabs in shallow snowpack areas. Terrain management and assessment is critical to a safe day.

Minimize exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of an avalanche could be serious.Be cautious in shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1.5 - 3

Loose Dry

Sun can act as a trigger to initiate the loose unconsolidated surface snow particularly in steep rocky terrain. Definitely a problem ice climbers should keep on radar where a small slide can quickly gain mass particularly in terrain traps.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Feb 19th, 2019 4:00PM