Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Mar 8 – 9, 2020Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 7 years ago

Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Good riding conditions reported in both the Icefields and Maligne areas. Remain cautious when negotiating and assessing areas with obvious wind effect.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2.5

    Wind effect and windslab are common through the region with some reactivity in the immediate lee.

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Ice Climbers, be cautious in areas where loading has stressed the snowpack. Top outs and ledges may be particularity sensitive due to new snow and transport winds.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1.5–3.5

    Little recent activity on this layer. More likely to initiate this layer in combination with accidently triggering a surface instability.

Avalanche Summary

Blue skies and unlimited views in the Park today. Numerous, older (-24/48 hrs) loose dry in the alpine, up to size 2 in both the Ice and Maligne zones. A natural, older cornice release up to sz 2 observed, entraining HST from steep lee features and isolated windslabs with no propagation.

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Confidence

Weather Forecast

A cold, trough will move in from the SW this evening. Convective flurries may produce an additional trace over east front ranges. A cold front will follow and drop down from the north and start to impact the northern region by Monday afternoon when a second, stronger system pushes in on Tuesday.

More detailed forecast at: Mountain weather forecast

Snowpack Summary

Moderate SW winds transporting available fetch to lee aspects forming new windslab and encouraging loose, dry releases from steep terrain through the region. The Icefields has a well bridged mid pack overlying basal facets and depth hoar. The northern region is weaker and shallow; bridging over the basal weakness is less reliable, especially BTL.

Regions covered