Ice climbing is awesome in Jasper right now. Have a safe and merry holiday season!
Weather Forecast
A ridge of high pressure and cold arctic air will be here tomorrow. Friday will be sunny, no precipitation, a high of -18C and a low of -20C, generally light Northerly winds. Saturday will be much the same as Friday except for some gusting Northerly winds at ridgetops.
Snowpack Summary
In the alpine the snowpack surface has been tortured into a contortion of sastrugi making for ugly skiing. Recent moderate SW winds have formed isolated pockets of windslab in exposed areas at upper elevations. Below is an old snow interface of facets, crust and surface hoar. Several other noticeable crusts lie dormant deeper in the pack.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported or observed.
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.