The Icefields Parkway is planned to be closed at 2pm Thursday for avalanche control from Athabasca Falls to Saskatchewan crossing. Please plan accordingly.
Weather Forecast
Thursday will be cloudy and flurries, 5cm of snow, High of -6 and 15-40km/hr SW winds. Friday will be 12cm of snow, -18 to -6 degress Celsius, and light to 45km/hr West winds. Saturday will be sun and cloud, no precipitation, Alpine temperature Low -20 C, High -8 C, light ridge wind.
Snowpack Summary
Wind slabs and extensive wind effect is found in open areas. The upper snowpack is a windslab up to 50cm thick that sits on a sun-crust on solar aspects and facets on polar aspects. In many location the snowpack is facetted yet switching to spring snowpack conditions slowly.
Avalanche Summary
Wednesday's road patrol noted one size 3 noted in Maligne area, likely 3+ days old. Icefield's area noted one size 3 on the Mt Athabasca ramp, and one size 2.5 from a W aspect.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Thursday
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.