Sunwapta Pass

{{short description|Mountain pass in Alberta, Canada}} {{Infobox mountain pass | name = Sunwapta Pass | photo = Sunwapta Pass (7631716686).jpg | photo_caption = Looking south with Icefields Parkway below | photo_size = 280 | elevation = {{convert|2035|m|abbr=on}} | elevation_ref = <ref name="Parks"/> | traversed = Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway) | location = Banff National Park / Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada | range = Canadian Rockies | coordinates = {{Coord|52|12|50|N|117|09|34|W|type:pass_region:CA|display=inline,title|format=dms}} | topo = NTS {{Canada NTS Map Sheet}} | map = Alberta | map_caption = Location in Alberta }}

'''Sunwapta Pass''' (2,035 m/6,677 ft)<ref name="Parks">[https://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit42.aspx#tphp/ Jasper National Park of Canada]. Parks Canada. Retrieved 2012-05-26.</ref> (2,023 m/6,637 ft)<ref>''Banff, Jasper & Glacier National Parks''. Lonely Planet Publications, 2012, p. 74.</ref> (2,055 m/6,742 ft)<ref>Jasper South Trails Map. National Geographic Society, 2012.</ref> is a mountain pass in the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta. Sunwapta Pass is the low point of the saddle created between Mount Athabasca and Nigel Peak. The pass marks the boundary between Banff and Jasper national parks. The Icefields Parkway travels through Sunwapta Pass 108 km (67 mi) southeast of the town of Jasper and 122 km (76 mi) northwest of the Parkway's junction with the Trans-Canada Highway near Lake Louise.<ref>[http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit38.aspx/ Map of Icefields Parkway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092807/http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit38.aspx/ |date=2016-03-04 }}. Parks Canada. Retrieved 2012-05-26.</ref> The pass is the second highest point on the Icefields Parkway. Bow Summit (2,069 m/6,790 ft) in Banff National Park is the highest point on the parkway.<ref>Patton, Brian ''Parkways of the Canadian Rockies''. Summerthought Publishing, 2008, pp. 83, 95.</ref>

Sunwapta Pass marks the watershed divide between the Athabasca River drainage to the north and the North Saskatchewan system to the south. Waters flowing north from this summit eventually reach the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River, while those flowing south cross the prairies via the Saskatchewan and Nelson rivers to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean.<ref>Patton, Brian. ''Parkways of the Canadian Rockies''. Summerthought Publishing, 2008, p. 94.</ref>

==Climate== <div style="width:85%;"> {{Weather box |location = Sunwapta, Alberta (1555m) |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 8.5 |Feb record high C = 12.5 |Mar record high C = 17.0 |Apr record high C = 21.5 |May record high C = 27.0 |Jun record high C = 28.0 |Jul record high C = 31.1 |Aug record high C = 31.2 |Sep record high C = 29.5 |Oct record high C = 24.5 |Nov record high C = 13.5 |Dec record high C = 10.0 |year record high C = 31.2 |Jan high C = -5.2 |Feb high C = -2.0 |Mar high C = 2.8 |Apr high C = 7.4 |May high C = 12.9 |Jun high C = 16.4 |Jul high C = 18.9 |Aug high C = 19.3 |Sep high C = 14.2 |Oct high C = 7.1 |Nov high C = -2.0 |Dec high C = -6.8 |year high C = 6.9 |Jan mean C = -11.9 |Feb mean C = -10.0 |Mar mean C = -5.2 |Apr mean C = 0.6 |May mean C = 5.7 |Jun mean C = 9.3 |Jul mean C = 11.4 |Aug mean C = 11.2 |Sep mean C = 6.5 |Oct mean C = 0.8 |Nov mean C = -7.9 |Dec mean C = -12.8 |year mean C = -0.2 |Jan low C = -18.5 |Feb low C = -18.0 |Mar low C = -13.0 |Apr low C = -6.2 |May low C = -1.5 |Jun low C = 2.2 |Jul low C = 3.9 |Aug low C = 3.1 |Sep low C = -1.2 |Oct low C = -5.6 |Nov low C = -13.7 |Dec low C = -18.8 |year low C = -7.3 |Jan record low C = -42.0 |Feb record low C = -47.0 |Mar record low C = -39.0 |Apr record low C = -26.5 |May record low C = -10.7 |Jun record low C = -5.0 |Jul record low C = -2.5 |Aug record low C = -6.5 |Sep record low C = -14.0 |Oct record low C = -34.5 |Nov record low C = -44.0 |Dec record low C = -43.5 |year record low C = -47.0 |Jan precipitation mm = 32.9 |Feb precipitation mm = 24.3 |Mar precipitation mm = 28.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 23.0 |May precipitation mm = 32.2 |Jun precipitation mm = 57.6 |Jul precipitation mm = 67.9 |Aug precipitation mm = 67.3 |Sep precipitation mm = 42.3 |Oct precipitation mm = 36.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 39.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 25.2 |year precipitation mm = 477.4 |Jan rain mm = 1.2 |Feb rain mm = 0.0 |Mar rain mm = 0.2 |Apr rain mm = 3.5 |May rain mm = 24.9 |Jun rain mm = 56.3 |Jul rain mm = 67.7 |Aug rain mm = 67.3 |Sep rain mm = 38.3 |Oct rain mm = 16.7 |Nov rain mm = 3.4 |Dec rain mm = 0.0 |year rain mm = 279.6 |Jan snow cm = 31.7 |Feb snow cm = 24.3 |Mar snow cm = 27.9 |Apr snow cm = 19.8 |May snow cm = 7.2 |Jun snow cm = 1.3 |Jul snow cm = 0.2 |Aug snow cm = 0.0 |Sep snow cm = 4.0 |Oct snow cm = 20.2 |Nov snow cm = 36.3 |Dec snow cm = 25.2 |year snow cm = 198.2 |source 1 = Environment Canada<ref name= "climate">{{cite web |url =https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?searchType=stnProx&txtRadius=100&selCity=&selPark=&optProxType=custom&txtCentralLatDeg=52&txtCentralLatMin=52&txtCentralLatSec=23&txtCentralLongDeg=118&txtCentralLongMin=08&txtCentralLongSec=23&txtLatDecDeg=&txtLongDecDeg=&stnID=2439&dispBack=0| title = Sunwapta, Alberta| work = Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010| publisher = Environment Canada| language = English, French| accessdate = July 22, 2023}}</ref> |date=August 2010 |collapsed=yes }}</div>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{cite cgndb|id=IAMPF|name=Sunwapta Pass}}

Category:Banff National Park Category:Jasper National Park Category:Mountain passes of Alberta