Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2021–Mar 31st, 2021

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, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Jasper.

Unsettled and changing conditions forecasted up to, and through the holiday weekend.

Weather Forecast

Partly cloudy with few scattered flurries for Tuesday night and Wednesday. As we approach Easter weekend, a new cycle, ramping up Thursday afternoon will bring snow back into the region and push freezing levels down from their Wednesday peak. Generally unsettled, convective conditions forecasted.

Snowpack Summary

Widespread variability at the surface with up 20cm settled HN in the Icefields Area. New snow overlies previous surfaces such as hard windslab and variable crusts at TL/ALP elevations. The snow pack shows strength and good bonding in field tests but feels weak overall in the shallow regions like Whistlers/Portal creek and Maligne zones.

Avalanche Summary

Natural activity has tapered off. Loose dry and evidence of significant wind slab activity during, and immediately following the storm cycle on Sunday showed numerous releases, mostly West through SW aspects but, especially in steep alpine and high treeline features.

Confidence

Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Thursday

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

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.