Avalanche forecast

Lizard-Flathead

Mar 4 – 5, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 7 months ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate

Highlights

A persistent weak layer remains the primary concern, especially in steep sheltered areas at treeline or below.

Retreat to more conservative terrain if you see signs of instability.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    New snow and wind may be forming small fresh wind slab near ridges and in lee and crossloaded featuress. Check for older stubborn slabs as well before comitting to steep slopes.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    Be aware of the potential for remote triggering and large avalanches due to buried surface hoar, especially around steep openings in the forest or cutblocks.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Rain at lower elevations on Wednesday may create potential for wet loose sluffing, especially in steep terrain. Use appropriate sluff management techniques if the snow surface is wet.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We have higher uncertainty about treeline conditions due to persistent slabs.
  • We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

Several small wet loose avalanches were triggered by people and ran naturally on sunny slopes on Monday.

Observations are currently very limited in this region. Please consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 5 mm of precipitation is in the forecast for Wednesday, and may fall as rain below 1900 m.

Widespread wind effect at upper elevations left a variety of pressed surfaces, slabs, and sastrugi in open terrain. Solar-facing slopes and lower elevations likely have a surface crust.

A persistent weak layer of surface hoar or facets and a crust is buried 30 to 60 cm deep. Persistent slab avalanches are most likely in sheltered areas at treeline and below, where the surface hoar was well preserved.

The mid and lower snowpack are well settled in some areas. In others, large facets or depth hoar are present at the bottom of the snowpack.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Cloudy. 0 to 5cm of snow at treeline, possible rain below. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy. 0 to 2 mm rain at treeline. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2100 m.

Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.

Friday
Mostly sunny. 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
  • Start on smaller terrain features and gather information before committing to bigger terrain.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.

Regions covered