Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Regions
Jasper.
Good skiing can still be found in sheltered locations, but be cautious if traveling in shallow snowpack areas.
Weather Forecast
A weak ridge builds Wednesday, giving stable weather for the next couple days. Spin-off from a Low impacting the south coast will give cloud and flurries on Friday.Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Light winds. Alpine temps Low -20C, High -12C.A detailed mountain weather forecast is available from Avalanche Canada.
Snowpack Summary
Ongoing cold temps have weakened the structure of the upper snowpack. There is no longer a slab over the persistent weakness sitting down 30-40cm (surface hoar, crusts, and/or facets). The basal snowpack is structurally weak in shallow areas, consisting primarily of facets/depth hoar (cold temps continue to develop this deep persistent weakness).
Avalanche Summary
Several loose dry avalanches up to size 2 have been naturally triggered in the facetting snowpack in steep shallow areas over the past 2-3 days. On Feb 7th, a size 2 deep persistent slab was triggered by skiers in the Maligne area on a W aspect, 1950m, on a 30 degree slope (see MIN).
Confidence
Problems
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
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.