Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Dec 5 – 6, 2012Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    Steady moderate Southwest winds are loading Northeast aspect ridgetops and lee terrain features. Triggering a windslab may provide the energy for an avalanche to step down to the persistent weakness described below.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–3
    A persistent facetted weakness can be found around a mid-pack crust. Saturday, an isolated size 3 slab avalanche on a steep Northerly slope in the Hilda Creek area likely ran on this layer.

Weather Forecast

The forecast calls for steady snowfall overnight with higher amounts around the Icefields area. This will be combined with moderate Southwest winds in the alpine.  Thursday may see a clearing trend.

Snowpack Summary

Moderate Southwest winds this afternoon are redistributing recent storm snow to lee aspects. This may provide the load to cause natural avalanches on the midpack facet layers around the November 01 crust.

Avalanche Summary

No New avalanche observations due to obscured visibility.  On Saturday, a size 3 slab was observed in the hilda creek area. It originated from sloughing in a gully feature and expanded into a slab in the runout at 2400m.

Confidence

Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

Regions covered