Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 14th, 2025–Feb 15th, 2025

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.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Good skiing exists in areas that have been sheltered from the wind.

Assess wind loading on open slopes before committing to terrain as windslabs may remain reactive to human triggers.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed.

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine and treeline snow has been redistributed by wind and sits over top of a weak layer consisting of temperature crusts, winds slabs, or faceted snow. Where soft surface snow exists it is faceted into the upper snowpack.

The midpack is weak and faceted. The early season crusts are faceting and breaking down but continue to persist along with large depth hoar at the base. The snowpack at tree line is 70-130 cm in the Icefields area and 50 cm in the Maligne area.

Weather Summary

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: High -13 °C.

Ridge wind light to 15 km/h.

Sunday

Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries.

Precipitation: Trace.

Alpine temperature: Low -17 °C, High -10 °C.

Ridge wind light to 15 km/h.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud.

Precipitation: Nil.

Alpine temperature: Low -15 °C, High -10 °C.

Light ridge wind.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

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.

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.