Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 25th, 2025–Feb 26th, 2025

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

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

Use caution and good travel habits when venturing into any avalanche terrain.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Control Work on the Parkway Sunday found a reactive storm slab 20-50cm deep. Local natural activity has gradually decreased, though serious avalanche conditions persist, especially in the Icefields/Parkers Ridge area.

Snowpack Summary

24 cm snowfall (Saturday, Feb 22) is very centralized to Parkers Ridge and tapers off quickly, both north and south along the Icefields Parkway. This new storm slab overlies well-developed surface hoar and previous wind effect in exposed treeline and alpine elevations. Limited snowfall throughout the rest of the bulletin region, especially below 1500m where warm temps and rain have soaked the weak snowpack below treeline.

Weather Summary

Overnight: Clear with cloudy periods. No precipitation. Low -6 °C. Light winds. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Wednesday Sunny with cloudy periods. High -2 °C. Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 35 km/h. Freezing level: 1900 metres.

Thursday Sunny with cloudy periods and isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Low -3 °C, High -1 °C. Light SW wind, gusting to 45 km/h. Freezing level: 1900 metres.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.
Avoid exposure to overhead hazards when solar radiation is strong.

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.

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.