Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 25th, 2014–Jan 26th, 2014

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

Regions

Jasper.

Select conservative lines as the underlying basal weakness is not going away anytime soon.

Weather Forecast

A small front will pass through in the next day bringing cloudy periods and light snow flurries. Temperatures are expected to cool overnight and remain below 0 during the day at treeline and above. Another system is expected to develop by mid week which will bring a mixture of sun and cloud with only light snowfalls into the weekend.

Snowpack Summary

A shallow and weak snowpack sits on 10-20cm of basal facets.  Previous wind slabs provide bridging strength to the snowpack above treeline and into the alpine. Extensive scouring in the high alpine. Clear skies and light winds have developed surface hoar at all elevations leading to another weak layer in the future.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed on Saturday. Friday's field patrols observed three size 1.5 to size 2 slabs on solar aspects in the alpine.

Confidence

Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Problems

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.

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.