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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 27th, 2022–Apr 28th, 2022

Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Below Threshold.
Treeline
Below Threshold.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Jasper.

New snow staying dry northerly aspects tree line and above. SW winds building fresh wind slab at ridge crest. Below tree line crusts beginning to break down by early afternoon.

Weather Forecast

Mix of sun and cloud Thursday with some isolated flurries. Winds becoming light from the West and freezing level to 1800m.  Overnight freezing level falls to valley bottom.  Sunny periods Friday with continued light westerly winds and a freezing level up to 2000m.  Minimal precipitation into the weekend with daytime temperatures continuing to rise.

Snowpack Summary

15cm of new snow fell Tuesday above 1700m. This overlies temperature crust on steep solar aspects. Sheltered locations may hold 15-30cm of spring powder snow over previous wind surfaces and crusts. Several thick and thin crusts exist in the upper snowpack depending on aspect, elevation, and angle. The mid pack is supportive and well consolidated.

Avalanche Summary

Icefield's patrol on April 26 and 27 noted several loose dry avalanches becoming loose wet up to size 2 mainly solar triggered. A skier remote wind slab size 1.5, 5-30cm deep at ridge crest seen Parkers area running within the storm snow. Consult the Mountain Information Network for recent observations; share your obs by submitting a MIN report

Confidence

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.

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.

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.