Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 15th, 2016 4:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.

mark herbison, Parks Canada

Jasper.

The snowpack is generally shallow and poorly consolidated. Windslabs exist in the Alpine and if triggered could step down to deeper instabilities.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries up to 2-4cms by Wednesday morning. Alpine high of -9, freezing level to 1000m.Â Light, gusting to moderate winds from the West through Wednesday, switching to a short lived Northerly flow by Thursday bringing ~5mm of precip according to some models. Clearing Thursday night into Friday.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is generally shallow and poorly consolidated, significant variation exists within the forecasting area. Test results in Portal Crk showed mod-hard results dwn 60cm on facets 2-3mm with a sudden fracture character. This layer could be hard to trigger but could go big if it was. Windslab in the alpine and suncrust below Treeline.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed or reported.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations

Problems

Persistent Slabs

This problem was most active in the Maligne and surrounding Jasper area where the average snow pack is shallow but is proving much less active in the Columbia Icefield area.

Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Wind Slabs

Uniform wind slab has formed on most lee alpine and tree line slopes and cross-loaded features.

Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.Caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Mar 16th, 2016 4:00PM