Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Feb 7 – 8, 2016Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 11 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Sheltered areas at TL and BTL giving the best options for good riding. Sun starting to penetrate the upper snowpack, watch for localized instabilities on steep solar aspects. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–3
    New wind slab forming on lee and cross-loaded terrain. This is in addition to wind slabs found up to 30cm thick formed during the storm at the end of last week.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3
    35cm of storm snow from last week has formed a slab overlying a weak facetted snowpack. Field teams have found decomposed surface hoar with sudden planar test results in isolated locations at tree line. This is the key interface to assess.

Weather Forecast

Continued squalls moving through the forecast area for the evening. Winds and snowfall tampering off overnight. Expecting broken sky's and cold temps for Sunday morning. Seasonal temperatures and light southerly winds over the day Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

Buried and new wind slab formed at tree-line and above on North-Easterly aspects below ridge crests and cross-loaded terrain. These slabs are loading a weak and facetted mid-pack that has a layer of concern down about 30 to 60cm at the interface between old facets and new snow. Isolated pockets of decomposing surface hoar at tree-line down 40cm.

Avalanche Summary

Some natural activity up to size 2, possibly mid storm, observed in the Alpine and TL elevations on northerly aspects.

Confidence

Regions covered