Avalanche forecast

Jasper

Mar 24 – 25, 2025Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

The snowpack remains susceptible to human-triggered slides. Looking ahead, convectional precip, wind, and warm temps will exacerbate the avalanche hazard.

Given the fragile state of our current snowpack, even minimal additional loading is triggering large destructive slides.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2.5

    If triggered, expect to initiate lower weaker persistent layers creating a large avalanche.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–3.5

    This avalanche problem is associated with a weak facet and crust layer buried at the end of January approximately 70cm down in sheltered areas. This includes a crust layer formed in early March below the recent storm snow which is prominent on solar aspects.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Most active from steep rocky terrain, may overload and trigger the slopes below.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

The field team reports new reactive windslabs in the alpine. Size 3 reported on a large lee feature in the Mt Wilson region. (See photo)

Of note, are reports of large whumphs while traveling on skis is a good indication that the snowpack is still primed for triggering.

Snowpack Summary

In the Alpine: Wind slabs continue to build in lee features throughout the Alpine areas. These slabs will overload the weak persistent slab and continue to produce large avalanches in the region.

Treeline and below: the 70-90 cm from earlier in March has settled into a supportive midpack. This bridges a complicated and reactive deep persistent weakness. Where the snowpack is shallow, the bridging is not strong and triggering a large avalanche is very possible.

Weather Summary

Overnight: Clear with Cloudy periods. No precip. High: -3, Mostly light SW winds, gusting to 35km/h.

Tuesday: Mix of sun and clouds, isolated flurries. Trace of precip. High 0 °C. Winds SW: 15 km/h gusting to 45 km/h. Freezing level: 2300m

Wednesday: Mix of sun and clouds, wet flurries. Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine temp: Low -2 °C, High 4 °C. Mostly light S-ly winds: 10-30 km/h. Freezing level: 2700m

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
  • Remote triggering is a concern; avoid terrain where triggering overhead slopes is possible.

Regions covered