Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 19th, 2024–Apr 20th, 2024

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

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, Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.

Enjoy the beautiful spring weather on Saturday, before a brief return to winter on Sunday and Monday.

Remember to pay attention to how the snowpack is reacting to the rising daytime temperatures, and the best risk management strategy is usually to start and finish your trip early.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 10cm of recent snow with variable wind effect remains dry, and overlies a strong midpack above 2400m on shaded aspects. Sunny aspects, and everywhere below 2400m, starts as a supportive surface crust that breaks down with solar input and rising daytime temperatures.

Weather Summary

Mountain Weather Forecast is available at Avalanche Canada

Saturday

Sunny with cloudy periods.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: High 0 °C.

Ridge wind south: 10-30 km/h.

Freezing level: 2300 metres.

Sunday

Cloudy with scattered flurries.

Accumulation: 5 cm.

Alpine temperature: Low -6 °C, High -4 °C.

Ridge wind west: 20 km/h gusting to 60 km/h.

Freezing level: 1700 metres.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.