Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 27th, 2026–Apr 30th, 2026

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.

Spring conditions have arrived. Start and end your day early. Monitor the degree of overnight re-freeze to gauge the increasing hazard from morning to afternoons.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

Field team on the Athabasca Glacier observed a large active serac fall with an impressive powder cloud which made it a fair distance across the flats and likely close to the regular Columbia Icefield ski route. Some other activity was noted on Friday with large avalanches in the Stutfield basin, a wind slab on Mt Wilson, and a serac collapse from below the Normal Ramp route on Mt Athabasca.

Snowpack Summary

Isolated pockets of windslab can be found in alpine locations from localized winds. Melt-freeze crusts exist on all aspects other than North alpine. The snowpack at treeline and below is wet below a surface crust. High, North slopes have remained cool and have a dry, winter-like snowpack.

Weather Summary

Monday night will be clear skies, -3 °C, light winds and valley bottom freezing level. Tuesday could be a mixed bag of clouds, sun, flurries, 1 °C, light winds, and 2400 metres freezing level. Wednesday and Thursday will generally bring a mix of sun and cloud, -2 to 5 °C, and potentially 3000m freezing level. Expect wet flurries on Friday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.