Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Regions
Jasper.
Snowpack information for the high alpine is scarce, take a cautious approach and use a thorough assessment process if you venture into this terrain.
Weather Forecast
The current ridge of high pressure will hold until Wednesday, giving mostly clear skies and light ridge winds. Treeline temperatures will fluctuate between -8 and 0. Click here for the Avalanche Canada mountain weather forecast.
Snowpack Summary
Winds have scoured W ridges to bare rock in many places. Windslabs can be found on NE through S, lee aspects. The Oct 25 crust is 2-4cm thick and down 60 to 80cm. Hard sudden collapse failures have been observed immediately below this crust in test profiles. Early season hazards lurking beneath the shallow snowpack remain a concern.
Avalanche Summary
Dry loose snow avalanches up to size 2 were observed recently from steep solar terrain in the alpine.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.