Avalanche Forecast

Archived

May 1st, 2025–May 4th, 2025

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Regions

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

CAUTION! We are entering the first period this spring with freezing levels above 3500m and no or limited overnight freeze. This is a ALL MELT, NO FREEZE scenario.

We are also expecting new snow or rain on Saturday night that could increase the avalanche hazard.

Limit your exposure to avalanche terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent observations of large avalanches

Snowpack Summary

Without a good overnight freeze the snowpack is slush to treeline. With a good freeze there are surface crusts on south aspects to mountain top and on north aspect to 2600m. On sheltered northerly slopes above 2600m, soft snow exists and the snowpack remains susceptible to triggering deeper, unstable layers.

Weather Summary

Friday

A mix of sun and cloud.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: High 8 °C.

Ridge wind southwest: 10-20 km/h.

Freezing level: 3600 metres.

Saturday

Showers.

Precipitation: 9 mm.

Alpine temperature: Low 2 °C, High 9 °C.

Ridge wind southwest: 10-30 km/h.

Freezing level: 3200 metres.

Sunday

Flurries.

Accumulation: 8 cm.

Alpine temperature: Low -3 °C, High 2 °C.

Ridge wind northwest: 10-30 km/h.

Freezing level: 2400 metres.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
Loose avalanches may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger avalanches.
Travel early on sun-exposed slopes before cornices weaken with daytime warming.

Problems

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.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.