Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Feb 25 – 26, 2013Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The timing and volume of snowfall will determine if the avalanche danger increases to considerable in the next few days.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    Moderate to strong winds from all directions in the icefields continue to scour and redistribute any snow available in the area. New windslabs may develop in unexpected locations on terrain features and ridgetops.

Weather Forecast

Snow should come in light flurries over the next few days with snowfall up to 15cm Monday afternoon. However, it will come with strong westerly winds up to 100 Km/h at ridgetops which will scour the landscape. Some of that snow may deposit in Saskatchewan while the rest will be on lee aspects making more windslabs in sheltered terrain features.

Snowpack Summary

Variable windslabs exist at ridgetop and exposed alpine/ treeline locations. Where the snow is deeper, a solid midpack bridges the weaker layers below. Surface conditions range from wind scoured rocky patches, to sustrugi, to hard slab, with the rare pocket of sheltered soft snow offering a few turns. Un-supportive facets dominate lower elevations.

Avalanche Summary

No new activity was noted on Sunday's patrol. It has been a while since any significant avalanche activity occurred.  However, don't let your guard down since there is a lot of variability in the snowpack across the landscape. 

Confidence

Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Monday

Regions covered