Warm afternoon temperatures may cause a wet loose problem, particularly on solar slopes.
Expect the hazard to rise as temperatures and solar input increases throughout the day.
Recent south westerly winds have created wind slabs in the Alpine and exposed tree line. These will be found in lee features and sit above a weak layer of facets or surface hoar.
Warm temperatures and solar input will likely cause loose avalanches on sunny South East to South West aspects. The hazard will increase throughout the day as temperatures rise.
Numerous wet loose avalanches to size 2 were observed on February 4 and 5th throughout Jasper National Park. Most occurred on solar aspects below treeline. Several wet loose avalanches were observed in the alpine on solar aspects.
There is a melt freeze crust to mountaintop on solar aspects and to around treeline on polar aspects. A weak layer of surface hoar and facets is down ~10cm, which is most problematic in areas with wind loading.
In open areas, recent winds have redistributed the new snow into windslabs. The midpack is still supportive overlying basal facets at the bottom of the snowpack.
Saturday
Cloudy with scattered flurries.
Accumulation: 5 cm in the evening.
Alpine temperature: High -4 °C.
Ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h gusting to 55 km/h.
Freezing level: 1700 metres.
SundayMainly cloudy with isolated flurries.
Precipitation: Trace.
Alpine temperature: Low -7 °C, High -5 °C.
Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 50 km/h.
Freezing level at valley bottom.
MondayCloudy with sunny periods.
Precipitation: Nil.
Alpine temperature: Low -10 °C, High -6 °C.
Ridge wind west: 10-30 km/h.
Freezing level at valley bottom.
