Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Apr 18 – 19, 2021
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Archived · expired 5 years ago

Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
No rating
Treeline
No rating
Below
No rating

Highlights

A good overnight freeze will likely make for fast travel on hard crusts early in the day.

Watch for higher amounts of new snow and wind loading if heading up to the icefields.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3.5

    Cornices are awake! These features are extremely large, dense and heavy and will likely trigger the deeper instability on the slope below. If you must travel near or below cornices, use good travel techniques and group management to reduce exposure.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Colder temps and cloud cover have likely put a lid on this problem in the short term. Watch for it to return if the sun is out, especially TL and below where the snow pack is nearing zero.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3.5

    Shallow snowpack areas and solar aspects have increased potential for human triggered and natural avalanches stepping to deeper layers.

Weather Forecast

Monday: A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: High -2 C. Ridge wind light to 20 km/h. Freezing level: 2100 metres.

Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -7 C, High 1 C. Light ridge wind. Freezing level: 2300 metres.

Snowpack Summary

Melt/Freeze crus, possibly over moist or wet snow, all aspects and elevations except north above ~2500m where the snow remained dry. High Alpine (icefields) could have up to 5cm of new snow being redistributed by moderate to strong northerly winds.

Avalanche Summary

Loose wet and wet slabs to ground observed on all aspects up to size 3 throughout the region during the heat wave over the last few days.

Confidence

Regions covered