Maligne lake road and Icefields parkway is closed due to the rain/snow storm. Avalanche control will occur Wednesday and Thursday. Call 780-852-3311 or Alberta 511 for updates.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday evening into Wednesday is bringing heavy rain changing to snow with freezing level to valley bottom sometime overnight. Wednesday will be continued snow, 10-20cm or locally more amounts at the Icefields, and freezing level 1700m in the afternoon. Rain will continue at low elevations. A gradual cooling trend should occur into Thursday am.
Snowpack Summary
The top 20cm is moist or wet up to 2200m elevation with rain. As it changes to snow, expect a storm slab developing mainly treeline and above. It will rest on a previous temperature crust on many aspects. Alpine elevations, the snowpack has a solid mid-pack over a faceted base. Cornices are large and ominous. BTL the crust is deteriorating.
Avalanche Summary
It drizzled rain all day with building intensity towards 5pm. As a result, several size 2.5-3 wet slabs were noted late in the day, East aspects, 1900-2000m elevation, to ground, stopping mid-fan. Visibility was poor. Numerous small moist events size 1-2 were observed above 2300m.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Wednesday
Problems
Wet Slabs
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.