Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 28th, 2025–Dec 29th, 2025

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

Excellent skiing. Be mindfull of wind slabs in the alpine and in lee features. Take the time to dig and investigate the wind slabs and the November crust.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche control took place on Three Sisters facing the Spray road. Wind slabs upto size 1.5 running far into runout paths.

On Saturday, Mt. Buller Southern path ran to the spray road putting roughly a meter of debris on the roadway.

Several natural slab avlanches up to size 2.5 have occured in the last 24 hours in and around Mount Nestor on E, N and S aspects.

Snowpack Summary

Saturday's storm snow has been redistributed into wind slabs in the alpine producing natural avalanche activity up to size 2.5 on E, N and S aspects.

Be sure to dig down and evaluate this potential and always be feeling with your pole and skis for that hollow feeling indicating you are on a supportive windslab. The November crust is now down 110-170cm, and is showing signs of faceting around this crust layer. Recent avalanches in the upper snowpack have stepped down to this interface producing large destructive avalanches.

The forecasters were in the Buller area today and found a generally shallower and weaker snowpack. This is typical for the region of Buller and to the North. They were surprised by whomphing and settlements in the snowpack. This is related to the facets being formed above the November crust.

Weather Summary

Monday will bring a mixed bag of sun, cloud and the odd flurry. Temperatures will hover between -9c and -15c. Winds, on the other hand will be strong from the NW.

https://hpfx.collab.science.gc.ca/~fsg006/productviewer/ab/table/AB_Rockies_Forecast.html

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
Keep your guard up as storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.

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.

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.