Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Jan 11 – 12, 2019Parks Canada
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Archived · expired 8 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Watch out for building wind slabs and cornices.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2.5
    Moderate - strong W winds, snow available for transport, and warming temps continue to add to the wind slab problem.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3.5
    The Dec. 11th layer of facets and surface hoar is buried more than a meter deep. This layer is strengthening but was active during the recent storm.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–4
    The base of the snowpack is weak and facetted in shallow areas and will likely be for some time. The Jan 2-4th 85cm of new snow in combination with a skier has the potential to overload this weakness.

Weather Forecast

Friday will be cloudy, no precipitation, Alpine High -7 C, and ridge wind southwest 15 km/h. Saturday will be sun, Alpine temperature low -3 C high -1 C, wind southwest 10 km/h, and freezing level 1900 metres. Temperatures may be warmer than forecasted on Saturday. A detailed mountain weather forecast is available from Avalanche Canada.

Snowpack Summary

Moderate to strong winds and allot of snow available for transport from Jan 2-4th 85cm storm continues to build ridge top wind slabs. Last week's snow is settling into a cohesive layer and is overlying; previous widespread wind effect; the Dec. 11th layer in the mid-snowpack; and a weak facet layer on the ground (particularly weak where shallow).

Avalanche Summary

No new naturals observed on Thursday and visibility was good. To the South of Saskatchewan crossing there continues to be consistent reports of large avalanches. Jan 5th helicopter control produced numerous large avalanches with one on Sunset peak destroying 14 hectares of mature timber.

Confidence

Freezing levels are uncertain on Saturday

Regions covered