Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 8th, 2023–Jan 9th, 2023

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Jasper, Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.

Some of the signs of instability are tapering off, but we expect human triggered avalanches remain in the likely to possible range at Treeline and above.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed or reported in the last three days. Sunday's visibility was good at the Icefields. Marmot Basin's explosive control work has triggered avalanches on the deep persistent problem in steep alpine terrain off Marmot peak.

If you're out in the hills, don't forget to post to the MIN. Every bit of information helps!

Snowpack Summary

Only a few centimeters of new snow arrived the last couple of days. Previous moderate to strong Southwest winds redistributed any loose surface snow onto the already existing persistent slab particularly in lee features. A layer of Surface Hoar and Facets is down 20-40cm in sheltered areas. Large Facets and Depth Hoar comprise the bottom portion of the snowpack.

Click here to learn more about these tricky conditions.

Weather Summary

Monday will be clouds, sun, flurries, -7 °C, and Southwest 10-30 km/h winds. Tuesday will be similar with lighter winds. Wednesday could have more sunny periods, light winds, and -10 °C to -7 °C. Clouds and light winds will be Thursday's weather with a possible alpine temperature inversion.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
Keep in mind that human triggering potential persists as natural avalanching tapers off.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.