Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Jasper, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.
Use caution and good travel habits when venturing into any avalanche terrain.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
Control Work on the Parkway Sunday found a reactive storm slab 20-50cm deep. Local natural activity has gradually decreased, though serious avalanche conditions persist, especially in the Icefields/Parkers Ridge area.
Snowpack Summary
24 cm snowfall (Saturday, Feb 22) is very centralized to Parkers Ridge and tapers off quickly, both north and south along the Icefields Parkway. This new storm slab overlies well-developed surface hoar and previous wind effect in exposed treeline and alpine elevations. Limited snowfall throughout the rest of the bulletin region, especially below 1500m where warm temps and rain have soaked the weak snowpack below treeline.
Weather Summary
Overnight: Clear with cloudy periods. No precipitation. Low -6 °C. Light winds. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Wednesday Sunny with cloudy periods. High -2 °C. Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 35 km/h. Freezing level: 1900 metres.
Thursday Sunny with cloudy periods and isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Low -3 °C, High -1 °C. Light SW wind, gusting to 45 km/h. Freezing level: 1900 metres.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
- Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.
- Avoid exposure to overhead hazards when solar radiation is strong.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
20-30cm of new snow over a very weak snowpack. This slab is very reactive to light loads (rider).
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5
Deep Persistent Slabs
The large depth hoar at the bottom of the snowpack is inherently weak. The recent storm load has the potential to wake up this problem as overall, the snowpack remains shallow.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3