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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 2nd, 2021–Dec 3rd, 2021

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Jasper.

The Icefields Parkway and Maligne Road will open sometime on Friday. Stay tuned to Alberta 511 for updates. Keep your terrain choices conservative and be mindful of overhead hazard from new wind loading.

Weather Forecast

Friday

Cloudy with sunny periods.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: High -14 C.

Ridge wind southwest: 10-30 km/h.

Freezing level at valley bottom.

Saturday

Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries.

Precipitation: Trace.

Alpine temperature: Low -15 C, High -12 C.

Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 35 km/h.

Snowpack Summary

About 40 cm of storm snow fell in the last 48hrs in the Parker Ridge area. About 30cm around Maligne Lake. Moderate W-SW winds are currently blowing the new snow around in wind slabs or stripping features to ground. Above 1500m the snow in sheltered locations remains dry and light. The snowpack is largely supportive.

Avalanche Summary

Evidence of a widespread avalanche cycle during the storm was seen during helicopter avalanche control on Thursday in the Parker Ridge zone. Several sz 3 avalanches running to ground and numerous sz 2 windslabs were observed running naturally and being triggered with explosives. Two sz 3s were also observed in the Maligne Zone north of Joffre Creek

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.

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.