Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Jasper.
New snow staying dry northerly aspects tree line and above. SW winds building fresh wind slab at ridge crest. Below tree line crusts beginning to break down by early afternoon.
Weather Forecast
Mix of sun and cloud Thursday with some isolated flurries. Winds becoming light from the West and freezing level to 1800m. Overnight freezing level falls to valley bottom. Sunny periods Friday with continued light westerly winds and a freezing level up to 2000m. Minimal precipitation into the weekend with daytime temperatures continuing to rise.
Snowpack Summary
15cm of new snow fell Tuesday above 1700m. This overlies temperature crust on steep solar aspects. Sheltered locations may hold 15-30cm of spring powder snow over previous wind surfaces and crusts. Several thick and thin crusts exist in the upper snowpack depending on aspect, elevation, and angle. The mid pack is supportive and well consolidated.
Avalanche Summary
Icefield's patrol on April 26 and 27 noted several loose dry avalanches becoming loose wet up to size 2 mainly solar triggered. A skier remote wind slab size 1.5, 5-30cm deep at ridge crest seen Parkers area running within the storm snow. Consult the Mountain Information Network for recent observations; share your obs by submitting a MIN report
Confidence
Avalanche Problems
Loose Wet
This problem can range from unreactive to touchy depending on changing daily weather conditions especially as temps rise and solar input occurs. Many loose dry seen this week initiating in the alpine, becoming loose wet and gaining mass up to size 2.
- Use extra caution on solar slopes or if the snow is moist or wet.
- Watch for clues, like sluffing off of cliffs, that the snowpack is warming up.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Wind Slabs
Wind slabs have developed at ridge crest - keep this problem in mind lee features in the Alpine.
- Use caution in lee areas. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Cornices
Cornices are large and menacing. Variable Spring conditions can make them solid one moment and fragile the next. Always a good idea to avoid them. Consider them large triggers on the slopes below and inherently dangerous by their mass.
- Avoid travel on slopes that are exposed to cornices overhead.
- Cornices become weak with daytime heating, so travel early on exposed slopes.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5