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Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Dec 21st, 2023–Dec 22nd, 2023
Alpine
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate
Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low
Below Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low
Alpine
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate
Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low
Below Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low
Alpine
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate
Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low
Below Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Regions: Brazeau, Churchill, Cirrus-Wilson, Fryatt, Icefields, Jasper, Maligne, Marmot, Miette Lake, Pyramid.

What's over your head?

Warm temps and rain at low elevations will make thin, early-season ice even weaker.

Watch for overhead daggers, isolated slabs, loose dry, and sluffs.

If you find the snowpack supportive, you are on a slab over weak facets, it's not a great combo.

Conditions are not great!

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Following a weak weather system from Monday, there was 10-15mm of precip. but only an additional 10cm remains. The rest has been well redistributed throughout open terrain, especially around the Icefields. The whole region is in rough shape. The alpine is stripped to only immediate lee features. Deep facet wallowing should be expected on alpine ice approaches, especially on Mt. Wilson. So many hidden hazards lingering just below the surface.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is 45-80cm deep and is cold, weak, and facetted. Strong winds have stripped exposed alpine and tree-line terrain, creating hard wind slabs in cross-loaded and lee features. Basal weakness is a combo of large facets and chains of depth hoar.

Weather Summary

The Mountain Weather Forecast is available at Avalanche Canada https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast

Friday in the Icefields

Mainly cloudy, mostly unsettled flurries. Alpine High of -2 °C. Moderate to light SW ridgetop winds.

Freezing levels are exceptionally high. Warm temps. at TL and BTL. Especially around Jasper townsite. Cooling off by Saturday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.

Avalanche Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

You must keep this basal layer on your radar as triggering is possible in some features, like approaching or moving between pitches on ice climbs. Be cautious in steep terrain if you find yourself standing on the surface and not wallowing in facets, that's the problem slab.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size: 1 - 2.5