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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 1st, 2020–Feb 2nd, 2020

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Jasper.

Stay out of avalanche terrain!

The Icefields Parkway and the Maligne Lake road are closed until avalanche control efforts can be completed. Check 511.alberta.ca/ for updates.

Weather Forecast

Sunday will be cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries, trace amount of snow, -16 °C, and Southwest winds 20 km/h gusting to 45 km/h. Monday will be similar to Sunday.

See Weather synopsis here: Avalanche Canada Mountain Weather Forecast

Snowpack Summary

40cm or more snow arrived in the storm in the past 24 hours with strong winds and warm temperatures. Expect thick storm slabs over the facetted midpack and weak basal facets and depth hoar.

Avalanche Summary

A patrol to North end of Medicine lake noted several low elevation loose wet avalanches along Medicine slabs. The team's morning patrol on the Parkway only got to the Icefields center where the snow was too deep to proceed. Visibility was poor and it was a blizzard.

Confidence

Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.