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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 1st, 2026–Apr 2nd, 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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Dogtooth, East Purcell, West Purcell.

Isolated wind slabs may be lingering at upper elevations.

Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.

Confidence

High

  • We are confident due to a stable weather pattern.

Avalanche Summary

A large (size 3) cornice collapsed naturally on Tuesday near The Bugaboos, as well as one small skier accidental wind slab that occurred below a cornice near Golden.

Snowpack Summary

A thin crust has formed on south-facing terrain from recent solar radiation and overnight refreeze. On shaded aspects, 10 to 15 cm of recent snow overlies wind-affected, consolidated snow.

Below this, 30 to 70 cm of snow overlies a thick crust from the recent atmospheric river, which extends up to at least 2200 m.

Various persistent weak layers may still exist in the top 150 cm of the snowpack and in shallow snowpack areas, depth hoar (large facets) can be found near the bottom of the snowpack. Large triggers, like falling cornices, may be able to trigger these layers at upper elevations where the crust below the recent snow is thin or absent.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. Up to 5 cm of snow. 10 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 3 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • Avoid travelling on slopes below cornices.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.