Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 18th, 2026–Mar 21st, 2026

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

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

Highway 93 is closed with an uncertain opening day.

High freezing levels and steady precipitation is likely to overload the snowpack. Avalanches may reach or exceed historic runouts.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

Technicians on Tuesday closed highway 93 and could not see much terrain through the deluge of rain and snow. On Wednesday there were numerous wet loose avalanches observed around the Jasper Townsite and the Maligne road up to size 2.

Snowpack Summary

The last 24 hours brought 50cm of warm moist new snow at the Icefields but much less at Maligne. Rain occurred below 2200m. A persistent weak layer of surface hoar and facets is buried 20-80 cm but overall the snowpack is generally well consolidated with facets near the ground. Average snow depths for Icefields is 150-220 cm and Maligne is 60-140 cm.

Weather Summary

Thursday

16 mm precipitation.

Ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h gusting to 60 km/h.

Freezing Level 2300m

Friday

17 mm precipitation.

Ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h gusting to 70 km/h.

Freezing level: 2200 metres.

Saturday

Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries.

Accumulation: 4 cm.

Alpine temperature: Low -13 °C, High -3 °C.

Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 65 km/h.

Freezing level: 1800 metres.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Watch for rapidly changing conditions during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
Avalanche danger will rapidly increase if snow switches to rain.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.