Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Jasper, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.
Good skiing exists in areas that have been sheltered from the wind.
Assess wind loading on open slopes before committing to terrain as windslabs may remain reactive to human triggers.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been observed.
Snowpack Summary
In the alpine and treeline snow has been redistributed by wind and sits over top of a weak layer consisting of temperature crusts, winds slabs, or faceted snow. Where soft surface snow exists it is faceted into the upper snowpack.
The midpack is weak and faceted. The early season crusts are faceting and breaking down but continue to persist along with large depth hoar at the base. The snowpack at tree line is 70-130 cm in the Icefields area and 50 cm in the Maligne area.
Weather Summary
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud.
Precipitation: Nil.
Alpine temperature: High -13 °C.
Ridge wind light to 15 km/h.
SundayCloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries.
Precipitation: Trace.
Alpine temperature: Low -17 °C, High -10 °C.
Ridge wind light to 15 km/h.
MondayA mix of sun and cloud.
Precipitation: Nil.
Alpine temperature: Low -15 °C, High -10 °C.
Light ridge wind.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
- If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
The wind slabs will likely remain human triggerable as they sit on a well developed weak layer.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Deep Persistent Slabs
A variety of crusts with facets above and below exist at the bottom of the snowpack. These layers are going to be with us for a long time and pose a low probability, high consequence situation if triggered.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely
Expected Size: 2 - 3