Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Mar 19, 2019Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 8 years ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
4 · High
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Highlights

Highway 93N and Maligne road remain closed for Avalanche Control. Check Alberta 511 for details and updates.Avoid avalanche terrain on solar aspects, where a natural avalanche cycle is underway.  Polar aspects are cooler, but activity is increasing.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–2.5
    Progressively rising hazard over the day. Expect natural and human triggered loose wet avalanches on all sunny slopes, especially where steeper than 35 degrees. These are gouging to ground in thin areas.

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–3
    As the upper snowpack becomes saturated with water, Wet Slabs are failing on solar aspects. In shallow areas, these are failing on the basal layers.

Weather Forecast

In like a Lion! Spring is suddenly here in the Rockies and the damage to the snowpack is extensive. Very strong solar effect, with clear skies forecast all week.  Freezing levels will continue to rise; to over 3000m on Tuesday / Wednesday, slowly falling Thursday.  Light winds all week.  Treeline high was above +10 on Monday, and warmer expected...

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack remains dry on polar (shady) aspects, at treeline & alpine elevations. Elsewhere (solar aspects) it is quickly transitioning to Spring. Thin overnight crust recovery, breaking down quickly daily. Isothermal snowpack Below Treeline on solar aspects. As the snowpack warms, the Deep Persistent layers may become active on polar aspects.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous large (to size 2.5), Loose Wet avalanches observed on solar aspects at all elevations.  Several large (Size 2-3) Wet Slabs observed on solar slopes Monday (Natural at Alpine and Treeline elevations, and with explosives control Below Treeline).    Several small Loose Dry avalanches observed Monday in steep alpine terrain on NE aspects. 

Confidence

The weather pattern is stable

Regions covered