Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Jasper, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.
Cool daytime temps and limited solar should make for some great spring touring this week!
Start and end your day early!
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Large cornice failures and wind slabs have been observed at alpine elevations.
Snowpack Summary
In many sheltered areas, 5-20 cm of soft pow-pow exists. Recent variable loading has wind slabs building on all aspects in the alpine.
The snowpack at treeline and below is a series of crusts and moist snow. Easy travel requires good timing and an overnight freeze to get to the good stuff. The lower snowpack is dry, faceted, and weak.
High north aspects offer the best spring riding conditions, though the snowpack remains susceptible to triggering deeper, unstable layers.
Weather Summary
Overnight: Clear periods. Low -6 °C. Light winds to 25 km/h.
Wednesday: A mix of sun/clouds. Temps: High -1 °C. Ridge wind light to 20 km/h. Freezing level: 2200 metres.
Thursday: A mix of sun/clouds. Temps: High 2 °C. Ridge wind light to 20 km/h. Freezing level: 2500 metres.
Friday: Sunny. Freezing level: 2900 metres.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Isolated wind slabs have been building from south-west winds and now the winds have switched to a more northerly direction, look out for loading in not the usual places.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Deep Persistent Slabs
This is combination of our midseason persistent weak layers and the weak facets & depth hoar that live at the bottom of the snowpack. The likelihood of triggering this layer has been decreasing but if triggered, would likely result in a large destructive avalanche.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 4