Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 6th, 2026–Mar 7th, 2026

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 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.

There may be rolling closures for avalanche control on the Icefields Parkway in the Parkers area on Sunday, March 8th. Check for updates on https://511.alberta.ca/

The persistent weak layer remains the primary concern. Avoid steep, open faces, particularly where the snowpack is shallow.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.
We are uncertain about forecast precipitation amounts.

Weather Summary

Saturday

Flurries.

Accumulation: 9 cm.

Alpine temperature: High -2 °C.

Ridge wind southwest: 30 km/h gusting to 70 km/h.

Freezing level: 1900 metres.

Sunday

Flurries.

Accumulation: 6 cm.

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

Ridge wind west: 30 km/h gusting to 95 km/h.

Freezing level: 1600 metres.

Monday

Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries.

Precipitation: Trace.

Alpine temperature: Low -16 °C, High -12 °C.

Ridge wind west: 15 km/h gusting to 45 km/h.

Freezing level at valley bottom.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.

Problems

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.

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.