Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Jasper, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.
Identify wind impacted snow by watching for sudden changes in surface texture and hardness.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No patrol occurred Sunday. A couple low elevation size 1.5 loose avalanches were noted Saturday at highway level Coleman cliffs. Marmot basin explosive triggered a size 2 to ground on a North aspect on Friday. The slope was not previously controlled.
Snowpack Summary
5cm new snow at the icefields Friday night. Wind slabs formed before that from NW-W-SW winds. The snowpack is 60-120cm in depth at tree line. 10-30cm sits atop a weakening melt freeze crust and surface hoar layer from early December. The middle of the snowpack is facetted and there is a deep persistent layer at the base of the snowpack consisting of a decomposing melt freeze crust and depth hoar.
Weather Summary
Expect sun, cloud, no new snow, light winds, and -2 °C on Monday. A few flurries will come on Tuesday and Wednesday but nothing significant.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
- Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Last weeks winds came from the Northwest, West and Southwest. Many high elevation features could have wind slabs.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Deep Persistent Slabs
A variety of crusts with facets above and below exist at the bottom of the snowpack. These layers are going to be with us for a long time and pose a low probability, high consequence situation if triggered.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 3