Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
Wind slabs may remain possible to trigger, especially where they are poorly bonded to underlying snow such as surface hoar or a crust.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapRossland
Jan 11 – 12, 2026Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 9 months ago
Avalanche danger
Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
Continued light snowfall will provide fresh fuel for wind slabs over the weekend.
Avalanche problems
Confidence
Moderate
- Forecast precipitation (either snow or rain) amounts are uncertain.
Avalanche Summary
Explosive control work on Friday produced size 1-2 wind slabs out of steep alpine ridgeline lees.
Observations have been limited. If you head into the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
20 to 30 cm of recent snow has been redistributed by wind in exposed terrain. The recent snow may sit over surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.
The mid to lower snowpack is generally well settled, containing a few crust/facet layers which are not currently of concern.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Sunday
Cloudy. 2 to 8 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Monday
Cloudy. 2 to 8 cm of snow or mixed precipitation. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
- Start on smaller terrain features and gather information before committing to bigger terrain.