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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 5th, 2021–Apr 6th, 2021

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

Regions

Jasper.

Cornices are waking up in Jasper. Several natural cornices have failed in the Churchhill range in the last 24 hours, most releasing a slab below. Expect the wind to pick up and wind slabs to become more reactive where effected.

Weather Forecast

Tuesday:

Cloudy with sunny periods.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: High -3 C.

Ridge wind southwest: 15 km/h gusting to 45 km/h.

Freezing level: 1900 metres.

Wednesday:

Flurries.

Accumulation: 10 cm.

Alpine temperature: Low -7 C, High -4 C.

Ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h gusting to 70 km/h.

Freezing level: 1600 metres.

Snowpack Summary

HST of 10-30cm has settled to about 10cm of snow. Shifting winds forming isolated wind slabs at TL and ALP. The snowpack shows good bonding in field tests in deeper snowpack areas, shallow snowpack regions such as Whistler/Portal and Bald Hills have bigger a potential for weak layers to wake up and are more complex to assess.

Avalanche Summary

Monday morning there was an avalanche incident around Lake Louise. Read Min report here:

Several Size 2-3 slabs were observed in isolated extreme terrain triggered by cornices.

Solar aspects had numerous loose wet slides tree line and below.

Confidence

Problems

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

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.

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.