Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Jasper.
Strong southwesterly winds combined with new snow on Friday night will contribute to wind slab development.Good skiing can still be found in sheltered areas below tree line.
Weather Forecast
Saturday: Precipitation: Trace. Alpine temp: High -8 °C. Wind west: 20 km/h gusting to 55 km/h. Freezing level at VB.
Sunday: Precipitation: Trace. Alpine temp: Low -12 °C, High -6 °C. Wind west: 20-40 km/h. Freezing level: 1400 metres.
Monday: Flurries. Accumulation: 7 cm. Alpine temp: Low -13 °C, High -8 °C. Wind west: 25 km/h gusting to 80 km/h.
Snowpack Summary
Varied wind effect at tree line and above. Snowpack is facetted and complex. December facet layers down 20-40cm still reactive in tests; buried surface hoar found in isolated locations.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported from road patrol today.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent snow is available for transport. Wind slabs are likely in lee slopes in lee slopes.
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Persistent Slabs
Persistent slabs sit over different weak layers depending on elevation & aspect. Above 1950m a buried facet layer down 20-40cm is the primary concern. Below 1950m, a faceting crust down 40-70 is presenting a more stubborn version of a similar problem
- Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
- Dig down to find and test weak layers before committing to a line.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 3