If you go exploring watch out for localized convective snowfalls.
Weather Forecast
5cm of snow is forecast at the Parker Ridge area overnight Saturday into Sunday. Treeline will be windy with 20-45 km/h westerlys. Freezing level will be around 1700m with a high of -5C. Expect the same closer to Jasper except with less snow. Note that forecast snow amounts have been inaccurate over the past week
Snowpack Summary
Forecast winds and snow could create windslabs in the alpine. A supportive crust exists to 2,100m on all aspects and extends into the alpine on solar slopes. A winter snowpack remains on N aspects above treeline. At upper elevations a weak faceted layer down 20-50cm remains a concern. The snowpack sits on a weak base of facets and depth hoar.
Avalanche Summary
Signs of cornice failures up to size 2 have been reported and a large serac triggered avalanche was witnessed off the south side of Mt. Kitchner on Thursday. Large whumpfs on the ridge of Mt. Wilcox were also reported on Thursday.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.