Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 29th, 2025–Apr 30th, 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.

We have transitioned to spring conditions at all elevations. The key to safe and good travel is to start and finish early before the freezing level rises. Winter conditions can still be found in the high alpine around the Icefields.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Several deep persistent slabs and wet loose avalanches across the region in the alpine were observed on Tuesday.

Snowpack Summary

Without a good overnight freeze the snowpack is slush to 2200m. In sheltered northerly slopes above 2600m, soft snow exists. Isolated wind slabs exist on wind exposed lee slopes in the alpine. In the alpine, the lower snowpack is dry, faceted, and weak. High north aspects offer the best spring riding conditions, though the snowpack remains susceptible to triggering deeper, unstable layers.

Weather Summary

Wednesday

A mix of sun and cloud.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: High 0 °C.

Ridge wind west: 10-25 km/h.

Freezing level: 2300 metres.

Thursday

A mix of sun and cloud.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: Low -3 °C, High 4 °C.

Ridge wind west: 10 km/h.

Freezing level: 2800 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.
Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.

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.