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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 18th, 2021–Mar 19th, 2021

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

Regions

Jasper.

Generally safe avalanche conditions.  Watch for unstable snow on isolated solar features.

Weather Forecast

Tonight: Flurries. Light SW winds.

Friday: Cloudy with sun, isolated flurries. Alpine temperature: High -5 °C. Ridge wind SW: 20 km/h gusting to 50 km/h. Freezing level: 1600 m.

Saturday: Flurries. Accumulation: 6 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -13 °C, High -7 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h gusting to 55 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temps and high solar input has created typical spring like conditions with moist snow on solar aspects from daytime heating, TL and below. Continuing SW winds have redistributed the snow pack, forming hard slabs in the ALP. The mid pack is supportive in deep areas, but shallow snowpack areas are weak and will break down fast with temp swings.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity observed or reported

Confidence

Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.