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Canada/Highway & Mountain Pass Weather
Trans-Canada Highway & Mountain Pass Weather Dispatch

Canadian Highway & Mountain Pass Conditions

Real-time road surface temperatures, black ice detection, summit snowfall rates, avalanche hazards, and commercial tire chain alerts across the Coquihalla, Rogers Pass, Icefields Parkway, and Trans-Canada snowbelts.

10 Major Summits Monitored
4 Severe Driving Alerts Active
Condition:
BC Hwy 5 • BC

Coquihalla Summit (Zopkios)

Snow Packed
Commercial vehicles must carry tire chains. Extreme black ice in the Great Bear Snowshed shadows.
Coquihalla Great Bear Snowshed looking SouthExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-4 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-6 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+28 cm
Peak Wind Gust
70 km/h
Summit: 1244 m (4081 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Considerable
Official DriveBC FeedChains Mandated
Trans-Canada Hwy 1 • BC

Rogers Pass (Glacier National Park)

Chains Required
Highway closure possible for avalanche artillery control between 13:00 and 15:00 PST. No stopping permitted in avalanche paths.
Rogers Pass Summit Discovery CentreExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-8 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-10 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+42 cm
Peak Wind Gust
85 km/h
Summit: 1330 m (4363 ft)Avalanche Hazard: High
Official DriveBC & Parks Canada FeedChains Mandated
Trans-Canada Hwy 1 • AB

Kicking Horse Pass (Continental Divide)

Partly Icy
Yoho National Park Boundary at Wapta LakeExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-12 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-14 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+14 cm
Peak Wind Gust
50 km/h
Summit: 1627 m (5338 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Moderate
Official 511 Alberta Feed
AB Hwy 93 North • AB

Bow Pass (Icefields Parkway)

Snow Packed
Zero cellular coverage. Winter survival kit, satellite messenger, and full tank of fuel mandatory before entering.
Peyto Lake Summit Overlook at Bow PassExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-17 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-19 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+18 cm
Peak Wind Gust
65 km/h
Summit: 2068 m (6785 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Considerable
Official 511 Alberta & Parks Canada FeedChains Mandated
BC/AB Hwy 3 • AB

Crowsnest Pass

Partly Icy
High wind warning for empty transport trucks and high-profile trailers.
Frank Slide Historic Site & SummitExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-5 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-7 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+6 cm
Peak Wind Gust
95 km/h
Summit: 1358 m (4455 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Low
Official 511 Alberta & DriveBC Feed
ON Hwy 400 • ON

Highway 400 Barrie Snowbelt Corridor

Whiteout Blizzard
OPP warns of sudden zero-visibility whiteouts. Major multi-vehicle pileup risk. Reduce speed and do not stop in live lanes.
Hwy 400 at Innisfil Beach Road OverpassExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-6 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-7 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+35 cm
Peak Wind Gust
80 km/h
Summit: 280 m (918 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Low
Official Ontario 511 Feed
QC Autoroute 15 • QC

Autoroute 15 Nord (Laurentides)

Black Ice Risk
Verglas (Black ice) reported on bridges and highway overpasses. Sûreté du Québec urges extreme vigilance.
Saint-Sauveur / Sainte-Adèle Mountain SectionExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-2 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-4 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+10 cm
Peak Wind Gust
55 km/h
Summit: 420 m (1378 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Low
Official Québec 511 Feed
Trans-Canada Hwy 17 • ON

Trans-Canada Hwy 17 (Lake Superior Wawa Section)

Snow Packed
Montreal River Hill & Alona Bay LookoutExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
-14 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-16 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+22 cm
Peak Wind Gust
75 km/h
Summit: 410 m (1345 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Low
Official Ontario 511 Feed
NS Hwy 104 • NS

Cobequid Pass (Highway 104)

Wet
Cobequid Pass Toll Plaza SummitExpand View
Ambient Air Temp
+1 °C
Road Surface Sensor
0 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+8 cm
Peak Wind Gust
90 km/h
Summit: 325 m (1066 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Low
Official 511 Nova Scotia Feed
YT Hwy 5 • YT

Dempster Highway (North of Arctic Circle)

Whiteout Blizzard
Highway closed between Tombstone and Eagle Plains due to high winds and ground blizzard whiteout. Travel prohibited.
North Fork Pass Summit (km 82)Expand View
Ambient Air Temp
-32 °C
Road Surface Sensor
-35 °C
Summit Snow 24h
+15 cm
Peak Wind Gust
100 km/h
Summit: 1289 m (4229 ft)Avalanche Hazard: Low
Official Yukon 511 FeedChains Mandated

Understanding Road Temperature vs Ambient Air

Why 2°C on your car dashboard thermometer does not guarantee an unfrozen road.

Radiational Ground Cooling

On clear, calm winter nights, asphalt releases heat directly into the atmosphere faster than the surrounding air can replenish it. Even if ambient air registers +2°C, road surface temperatures often drop to -3°C.

Thermal Inversion in Mountain Passes

Cold, dense Arctic air sinks into the lowest canyons and shaded bridge decks (e.g., Coquihalla Snowshed, Fraser Canyon). Elevated bridge decks freeze first because cold air circulates both above and underneath.

Freezing Rain Glaze (Verglas)

When a warm Pacific airmass rides over an Arctic ground inversion, rain drops stay liquid aloft but flash-freeze instantaneously upon striking sub-zero pavement, producing invisible black ice.

Canadian Transport Regulations

Provincial Winter Tire Laws & Mandates

Ensure your vehicle is legally compliant before driving across Canadian provincial borders.

QuebecMandatory
Legal Window:
December 1 to March 15
Minimum Tread:
3.5 mm minimum (recommended 4.8 mm+)
Certified Symbol:
3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF)

Fine of $200 to $300 CAD plus applicable court fees for non-compliance.

British ColumbiaMandatory
Legal Window:
October 1 to April 30 (highways & passes)
Minimum Tread:
3.5 mm minimum across entire tread
Certified Symbol:
3PMSF or M+S (Mud and Snow)

$121 fine for passenger cars; commercial trucks without chains face $598 fines.

AlbertaMandatory
Legal Window:
November 1 to March 31 (Banff / Jasper National Parks)
Minimum Tread:
3.5 mm minimum in National Parks
Certified Symbol:
3PMSF or M+S or tire chains

Mandatory in National Parks under Parks Canada regulations. Fines up to $150.

OntarioVoluntary
Legal Window:
Voluntary (Insurance discount mandated)
Minimum Tread:
1.5 mm legal minimum (4.0 mm strongly advised)
Certified Symbol:
3PMSF for auto insurance premium discount

Not legally mandatory, but insurance companies are legally required to offer discount.