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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 9th, 2025–Mar 10th, 2025

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

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

Up to 50 cm of new snow fell over the weekend, adding significant weight to an already weak snowpack. It will take time for the snowpack to adjust to these changes. Wait for the avalanche cycle to complete before entering any avalanche-prone terrain.

Check for avalanche closure updates on Alberta 511.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Obscured conditions all day on Sunday prevented any avalanche observations.Two large naturally occurring Deep Persistent Slabs were observed in the backcountry adjacent to the ski hill on March 7th.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 45 cm of new snow fell over the weekend. Below this fresh snow, the snowpack is complex, with multiple crusts and facet layers creating persistent weak layers. The bottom of the snowpack consists primarily of weak facets and depth hoar.

Weather Summary

Sunday night:Periods of snow. Accumulation: 15 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -10 °C. Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 55 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Monday

Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Alpine temperature: High -9 °C. Ridge wind west: 15-35 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
  • Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain; avalanches may run surprisingly far.
  • Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

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.

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.