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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 19th, 2026–Feb 20th, 2026

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

Regions

Sugarbowl, McGregor, Pine Pass.

Wind slabs are slowly bonding, but may remain triggerable on lee slopes.
Expect to find wind slabs in irregular terrain, even in openings below treeline.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

Avalanche Summary

Several size 1.5-2 wind slabs occurred on southwesterly slopes in the Pine Pass during Tuesday and Wednesday's strong winds.

The North Rockies field team also observed shooting cracks at Morfee on Tuesday - see photo.

Looking forward, riders could trigger wind slab avalanches on any wind-loaded slope, even in lower-elevation terrain below treeline.

Please share any observations to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Previous strong northerly winds funnelled deep into valleys and formed extensive wind slabs in leeward southerly terrain. This included lower elevations with openings below treeline. Check all steep open slopes for slabs before committing to them.

In some areas, the wind stripped the snow in wind-exposed terrain down to the early-February melt-freeze crust. In wind-sheltered terrain, around 50 cm of snow overlies the crust. Surface hoar may sit on the crust in treeline in isolated features that are protected from the wind.

The remainder of the snowpack is consolidated with no layers of concern.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -17 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. 0 to 2 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy. 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -17 °C.

Sunday

Mix of sun and clouds. 0 to 2 cm of snow. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -19 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Keep your guard up at all elevations. Wind slab formation has been extensive and could extend into openings below treeline.
  • Recent strong wind means wind slabs may be found farther downslope than expected.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been affected by wind.

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.