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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 6th, 2021–Mar 7th, 2021

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

Regions

Jasper.

Weather Forecast

Sunday: Sunny with cloudy periods and isolated flurries.

Precipitation: Trace.

Alpine temperature: High -7 C.

Ridge wind southwest: 15 km/h gusting to 45 km/h.

Monday: A mix of sun and cloud.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: Low -12 C, High -9 C.

Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 35 km/h.

Snowpack Summary

5-10cm of new snow at treeline. Warm temps and high solar input have created crusts and moist snow on solar aspects at TL and BTL. Continuing SW winds have extensively redistributed the snow pack at TL and ALP. The midpack is supportive in deep areas, but shallow snowpack areas are weak and failing in buried facet layers in test results.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous loose wet and slab avalanches on solar aspects up to size 2, mostly at TL and BTL observed on Thursday into Friday. Only smaller activity observed on Saturday thanks to cooler temps. Several large natural slab avalanches observed in high alpine features over the past week, many were step downs from wind slabs or were cornice triggered.

Confidence

Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

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.

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.

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.