Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2.5
Fresh wind slabs sit on a variety of old surfaces. Winds continue to gust moderate from the SW.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapJasper
Mar 15 – 16, 2019Parks Canada
Archived · expired 8 years ago
Avalanche danger
Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Highlights
Avalanche hazard will rise with the temperature and freezing levels.
Avalanche problems
Loose Dry
NNEESESSWWNW- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Unlikely - Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Natural triggering has abated but human triggering remains a possibility, particularly in steep north facing sheltered terrain.
Loose Wet
NNEESESSWWNW- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible - Likely
- Size
- 1–1.5
Watch out for steep rocky features.
Weather Forecast
A ridge of high pressure is bringing the heat for the weekend and into next week. Watch for freezing levels to rise.For the Columbia Icefield Area:Saturday Cloudy with sunny periods.Precipitation: Nil.Treeline temperature: High -4 C.Ridge wind west: 10 km/h.Freezing level: 1800 metres.
Snowpack Summary
Moist surface snow treeline and below and the alpine is heavily wind effected. Deep snowpack areas are relatively strong through most of the region. Shallow areas are weak, and will morph quickly to moist 'spring like' slab conditions from the surface down. With the persistent basal weakness, this could fail with the full depth of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
On Friday several loose wet avalanches on steep, solar, rocky below treeline features and a windslab avalanche in the alpine on a cross-loaded south feature at 2500m Tuesday a group of skiers triggered a wind slab in the backcountry behind Marmot Basin. It was on a north alpine aspect with shallow snowpack, scree ground, and severely wind affected.