Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 9th, 2022–Jan 10th, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Jasper.

If the temperatures warm beyond forecast expectations on Monday or Tuesday, watch for an increase in natural activity. 

Weather Forecast

Monday will be cloudy, no new snow, -7, and SW 25-40 km/h winds. Tuesday will bring flurries, 10cm of snow, -9 to -6, and SW 20-45 km/h winds. Wednesday could be 14cm of snow, -6 to -4, 20-35 km/h SW winds, and 1600m freezing level. Thursday could have light snow, -9 to -3, and 1800m freezing level. Friday may bring sun and 2100m freezing level.

Snowpack Summary

2-10cm of new snow in the past 48 hours with steady 40-60, gusting 90 km/hr SW winds at ridge top stiffening the soft slab top layer. This is overtop a facetted yet supportive mid-pack in most areas. Shallow areas are not as supportive. Basal faceting is observed at or near the ground. Many West aspects are scoured and firm.

Avalanche Summary

Sunday's patrol noted a size 2.5 wind slab on Parkers slabs near the highway, 60cm thick, stopping at mid-path, and occurring in the past 24 hours. Significant whumpfing was noted while skitouring in the valley and leading into the forest a short ways. Sunday's visibility was good and nothing else noted. Nothing new was noted on Saturday.

Confidence

Freezing levels are uncertain on Monday

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

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.

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.