Avalanche forecast

Lizard-Flathead

Dec 7 – 8, 2025Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 10 months ago

Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Fresh snow and strong winds may form reactive wind slabs.

Assess steep slopes for dense or stiff snow before committing.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Increasing winds will impact flurries and loose snow. Watch for reactive wind slabs around ridgelines and cross-loaded features.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Riders were able to trigger a few small size 1 wind slabs on Friday.

On Saturday, explosives triggered numerous size 1 avalanches.

If you are out and about in the mountains, please consider posting your observations to the MIN.

Snowpack Summary

At treeline and above, up to 10 cm of new snow sits on top of faceted snow or surface hoar. The upper snowpack is mixed: wind-affected in open areas and softer in sheltered spots, all sitting on the mid-November crust buried 30–50 cm deep. Lower in the snowpack, there are several crusts, and in some areas weak, sugary facets can be found near the ground.

Total snowpack depths are roughly 80 to 120 cm, tapering quickly at lower elevations.

In many areas, especially below treeline, there is not enough snow to smooth out surface roughness or reach the threshold needed for avalanches.

Weather Summary

Saturday night
Cloudy. Up to 5 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy. Up to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday

Cloudy with flurries, 10 cm. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.

Tuesday

Mix of sun and cloud, 10 to 30 cm wet snow turning to rain at lower elevations. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Be cautious of buried obstacles, especially below treeline.

Regions covered