Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 22nd, 2015 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.

mike eder, Parks Canada

Jasper.

Avoid shallow areas on lee aspects in the alpine, where a small windslab avalanche could step down to the basal facets

Summary

Weather Forecast

Sunny skies and light winds from the West will continue on Monday. Light snow flurries are expected on Tuesday but will not amount to much snow. We are moving towards spring like conditions with colder overnight temperatures and mid day temperatures rising above 0.

Snowpack Summary

Colder daytime temperatures have locked in the snowpack today. The Feb 13th rain crust lies underneath a melt-freeze crust up to 2000m elevation. The melt-freeze crust goes up to 2200m. A mixture of rounded and facetted layers are sandwiched between these upper layers and the weak depth hoar/ facets prevalent in the lower snowpack down to ground.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed or reported today.

Confidence

Timing of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Tuesday

Problems

Wind Slabs

Caution in shallow and unsupported areas where wind slabs have formed.

Use caution in lee areas in the alpine. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.If triggered the storm/wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Deep Persistent Slabs

Cornice failures or skier travel in shallow snowpack areas are likely ways to trigger this deep weakness in the snowpack.

Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Valid until: Feb 23rd, 2015 4:00PM