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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 7th, 2022–Feb 8th, 2022

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

Regions

Jasper.

Natural and human triggered avalanches are possible as winds continue to buffet and sculpt Jasper's snowpack. 

Weather Forecast

Monday night will be flurries, -10C, and light gusting 75km/hr West winds. Tuesday is expected to be sun with flurries, -8C, with light to moderate west winds. Wednesday will be similar with 4cm of snow, -4 to -8C, light winds, yet 1900m freezing level. Thursday will be comparable yet with slightly increased winds and 1600m freezing level.

Snowpack Summary

Moderate, gusting Strong to extreme SW winds are sustaining the Windslab condition yet it appears to be bonding well. The mid-pack is a supportive mixed and rounded grains with generally a consistent coverage at tree line and above except where the winds have scoured to ground. A Surface Hoar layer is buried 30cm deep at tree line yet inconsistent.

Avalanche Summary

Monday's Maligne and Icefield patrols noted several small loose wet low elevation avalanches triggered by the late afternoon warm sun on Sunday. One size 1.5 loose wet occurred at 5pm on Sunday at Medicine lake hitting the road. A size 2 cross loaded gully slab was observed on Sunday across from Boundary lake in a steep alpine SW gully.

Confidence

Wind effect is extremely variable

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.