Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 13th, 2026–Jan 14th, 2026

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

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

Warm temperatures are expected again, but should begin cooling by the end of day. Winter temps forecasted to return to the whole region by Thursday morning.

The Icefields Parkway remains closed as crews work to clear debris and restore safe passage as quickly as possible. Consult Alberta 511 for updates.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the track & intensity of the incoming weather system.
  • Uncertainty is due to how the snowpack will react to the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

Windslabs and wet loose produced from avalanche control along the Icefields Parkway on West and NE aspects, TL and below. Large cornices observed and with continued loading are building in the alpine, most notably on NE aspects. A previous size 3.5 deep persistent slab was triggered by a large cornice failure, which travelled through all elevations to the valley bottom.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is undergoing a significant transition. Strong winds, warm temperatures, and mixed precipitation have created reactive wind slabs at ridgetop. At treeline and below, the snowpack is saturated, increasing the likelihood of wet slab and loose wet hazards in the region.

In the short term, the midpack may lose structural integrity—particularly in shallow areas (<100 cm)—which may activate the weak basal facet layer.

Weather Summary

Overnight: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Low -4 °C. Ridge wind SW: 20 km/h. Freezing level: 1700 metres.

Wednesday: Cloudy with sunny periods. High -4 °C. Ridge wind W: 25 km/h gusting to 50 km/h. Freezing level: 1600 metres.

Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud. Low -11 °C, High -6 °C. Ridge wind NW: 15-30 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid steep, sun-exposed slopes when the air temperature is warm or when solar radiation is strong.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large 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.

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.