Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Jasper, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.
The snowpack has changed significantly with the recent new snowfall (12 to 25cm).
Be cautious in all avalanche terrain while the snowpack is adjusting to the new snow load.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
Control Work in the Icefields found a reactive storm slab 20-50cm deep. New snow centralized around the Parkers Ridge region (25cm); Maligne Valley received 12cm. Serious avalanche conditions persist through many forecast regions.
Snowpack Summary
24 cm snowfall over 24 hours is very centralized to Parkers Ridge and tampers off quickly, both north and south along the Icefields Parkway. This new storm slab overlies well-developed surface hoar and previous wind effect in exposed treeline and alpine elevations. Limited snowfall throughout the rest of the bulletin region, especially below 1500m where warm temps and rain have soaked the weak snowpack below treeline.
Weather Summary
Overnight Cloudy with clear periods. Alpine temperature: Low -8 °C. Mostly light winds.
Tuesday A mix of sun and cloud. No Precipitation. Alpine temperature: High -3 °C. Light winds. Freezing level: 1800m.
Wednesday Sunny with cloudy periods. No Precipitation. Alpine temperature: Low -7 °C, High -2 °C. Mostly light wind, gusting to 30 km/h. Freezing level: 1900m.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.
- Avoid exposure to overhead hazards when solar radiation is strong.
- Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
20-30cm of new snow over a very weak snowpack. This slab is very reactive to any loads (ski cuts and explosives).
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5
Deep Persistent Slabs
The large depth hoar at the bottom of the snowpack is inherently weak. The recent storm load has the potential to wake up this problem as overall, the snowpack remains shallow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3