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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2026–Mar 18th, 2026

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

Regions

South Okanagan, Shuswap, North Okanagan.

Continuously verify conditions as you travel.

Wind slabs are possible when the snow surface is dry, wet loose avalanches are likely when the snow surface is wet or slushy.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to rapidly changing freezing levels.

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, ski cutting and explosive control in the region produced numerous size 1 to 2 storm slab avalanches. These avalanches occurred on all aspects and many were triggered at low elevations. The largest of these avalanches was 3 m deep.

Snowpack Summary

The upper snowpack is likely moist on all aspects and elevations. The exception could be north and east aspects in the alpine, where wind slabs may exist.

A widespread crust from earlier this month can be found down 70 cm. Layers of facets, crust, and surface hoar from February and January can be found just below this crust.

The remainder of the snowpack is well settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Cloudy. Light rain possible. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 2600 m.

Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 5 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 5 °C. Freezing level 2600 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent strong wind means wind slabs may be found farther downslope than expected.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.

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.