Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 19th, 2026–Jan 20th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Sunshine will continue with little change to skiing conditions. Look for preserved powder in sheltered terrain.

Don’t get complacent with the deep persistent slab - it remains a low-probability, high-consequence problem. Be cautious in areas with thinner snowpacks or where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

Confidence

Moderate

Uncertainty is due to the fact that deep persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

Avalanche Summary

No field patrol on Monday. Sunday's field team in the Nigel area reported no new naturals. A size 3 deep persistent slab was triggered in terrain adjacent to the ski hill on Friday. Maligne Road Patrol on Saturday observed several solar triggered avalanches up to size 1.5

Snowpack Summary

Previous winds created firm, wind-affected surfaces in exposed terrain at all elevations, while softer snow remains in sheltered areas. Sun-exposed slopes host variable crusts, especially on steep aspects. The snowpack is deeper in the Icefields and more shallow & weak in the Maligne area.

Weather Summary

Tuesday to Friday will bring mainly sun, a few clouds, no new snow, -6 to -17 °C, and light NW to calm winds. Some gusts up to 50 km/h may transpire Tuesday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.
Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.

Problems

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.