Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 18th, 2014 4:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is considerable. Known problems include Deep Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.

garth lemke, Parks Canada

Jasper.

Cooler temperatures are incrementally improving stability. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route finding and conservative decisions should be your mantra. Shallow spots will remain the likely trigger spots.

Summary

Weather Forecast

-12 Sunday night followed by clear skies, light west winds, and daytime temperatures ranging from -5 to -11. Monday to Wednesday will be scattered clouds and temperatures from -2 to -10.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temperatures are promoting settlement. BTL is a little more supportive but it remains the weakest of our elevation bands as not much bridges the basal facets. TL and above, wind slabs are present. Stability tests range from very easy to moderate sudden collapse on the basal facets.Â Â

Avalanche Summary

Visibility was excellent on Saturday. A couple lower elevation solar facing steep gullies slid to size 2 but otherwise, little else noted. Thursday's control work on the Icefields Parkway yielded large avalanches to size 3 on all alpine aspects releasing on either the storm snow interface or on basal facets.

Confidence

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

The basal facets are weaker below tree line as many whumphs noted. Where the snow is deeper at higher elevations, the mid-pack is bridging the weak basal facets; however, snowpack depth varies so much that its hard to inspire confidence in stability.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.Be aware of the potential for wide propagations.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 3

Wind Slabs

Wind slabs of variable thickness and hardness dot the landscape. Many windpressed and stripped features will be encountered once you leave the shelter of the trees. Triggering this could dig down to the basal facets increasing the consequence.

Avoid cross loaded features.Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Jan 19th, 2014 4:00PM