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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 28th, 2019–Apr 29th, 2019

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

Regions

Jasper.

Cool temperatures are expected to preserve problems for a few days until the new snow has had time to settle.

Weather Forecast

Monday will be clouds, sun, and flurries, trace of snow, treeline -5C, light winds, and 1500m freezing level. Tuesday will be similar, low -8 and high -5C, light winds, and freezing level 1700m. Wednesday may bring 7cm of snow.

Snowpack Summary

15cm of snow on Friday in the Icefields, the same Saturday at Maligne from an upslope storm. The snow was reverse loaded by Strong N-NE winds and overlies several crusts/facet layers in the upper snowpack. Stubborn windslabs can be expected on most aspects in the alpine and treeline. A faceted midpack layer on shady alpine slopes remains a concern.

Avalanche Summary

Good visibility at Maligne range observed one recent size 2.5 persistent slab in an alpine bowl, E aspect, convex shaped terrain, likely initiated by morning sun. No other activity was noted but the patrol was before noon. No new activity was noted on an icefields parkway road patrol.

Confidence

Due to the number and quality of field observations

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.

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.