Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Jan 13 – 14, 2017Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 10 years ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Hazard is a cautious Moderate. While natural activity is limited, the snowpack is a complex sandwich of buried and new wind slabs overlying a weak fragile mid-pack and base. Careful evaluation is required.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Variable winds have created a complex situation of cross and, reverse loaded features through the region. Stripped ribs, ridge-tops, and open features threaten to push users into areas where the snow is over-loaded and created layered wind-slabs. 

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    The faceted snowpack continues to lose cohesion and release loose dry avalanches from steep terrain. This is concerning for ice-climbers and skiers in confined/exposed terrain.

Weather Forecast

Increasing cloudiness over-night and through the day Friday. Overnight temperatures to -21 with slight, but continued warming thought the day and continuing into the weekend. High's expected to be near -10 in the Icefields area with light westerly winds. No precipitation is forecast for the foreseeable future.

Snowpack Summary

Previous HST has again been redistributed by moderate SW winds. Adding more layering to an already seriously complex, very shallow, faceted and weak snowpack. Multiple surface and buried wind slabs overlying a variety of faceted weaknesses to ground.

Avalanche Summary

Helicopter control on Jan 11th produced numerous slab avalanches to size 2.5 in the alpine, mainly wind slab in loaded gulley features. Loose dry activity continues out of steep, rocky terrain and tends to entrain facets on the slopes below.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

Regions covered