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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 28th, 2021–Nov 29th, 2021

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

Regions

Jasper.

The Icefield Parkway will be closed intermittently on Monday for avalanche control on Parkers slabs starting at 11am. Skiing will still be accessible at Hilda creek area. Check 511 for road updates. 

Weather Forecast

Monday will be cloudy, flurries, 4cm of snow, -4 C, 1600m freezing level, and 20 gusting 60 km per hour SW winds. Tuesday will bring 20cm of snow, -5 C, and 1600m freezing level. Wednesday will bring intense snowfall, 46cm of snow, -6 to -1 C, strong to extreme winds, and 2000m freezing level. 46cm is not a typo!

Snowpack Summary

15-25cm of new warm snow and light winds in the last 24 hours is bonding well to the previous surface. It is over a firmer 80cm thick midpack which is on a crust near the ground. The crust is surrounded by large and weakening Facets. There is some rain and warm temperatures impacting the lower elevations. 

Avalanche Summary

An Icefield patrol on Sunday had very poor visibility yet a few small loose dry avalanches in very steep terrain was noted. Fridays test pit at Parkers ridge at 2100m in a sheltered low elevation location had hard compression test results on the facets below the basal crust.

Confidence

Due to the number of field observations

Problems

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

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.

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.