Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Jan 1 – 2, 2013Parks Canada

View on map

Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Tue

Wed

Alpine

2 · Moderate

Treeline

1 · Low

Below

1 · Low

Open full map

Highlights

Cornices are becoming weaker with the current conditions - give them the respect they deserve by staying well back. Enjoy the mid-winter sunshine and have a safe and Happy New Year!..

Avalanche problems

Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Unlikely - Possible
Size
1–3
Wind slabs can be found above treeline in exposed terrain. These slabs are generally unreactive to skier traffic, although it is still possible to trigger a slab in steep wind loaded features.
Loose Dry
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Likely
Size
1–2
Numerous natural loose dry avalanches were observed in the past 48 hours. These slides originated from steep, rocky terrain in the alpine, as well as steep alpine gully features that are in the sun during the heat of the day.

Weather Forecast

Colder temps for Wednesday then a re-warming trend towards the end of the week. Clear skies, light westerly winds, and no precipitation for the rest of the week. Winds moderate to strong at ridgetop from the North.

Snowpack Summary

Snowpack is faceting and losing strength in shallow areas. Midpack is still generally supportive above treeline, with wind slabs in lee features at upper elevations. New surface hoar is being observed on the surface and is quite widespread. Moderate Northerly winds at ridgetop elevation may be causing some reverse loading in exposed terrain.

Avalanche Summary

Near surface faceting and a sunny day produced numerous loose snow avalanches to size 1.5 in the Columbia Icefield Area yesterday. These slides originated from steep, shallow and rocky terrain in the alpine on solar aspects. Cornice control yesterday at Marmot Basin did not trigger any slabs in slopes below.

Confidence

The weather pattern is stable

Regions covered

Jasper