Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 29th, 2025–May 10th, 2025

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Regions

Glacier.

Daily avalanche bulletins have concluded for the season, but the possibility of avalanches is still present.

The Spring Conditions page offers guidance on mountain travel during this transition period.

Please continue submitting any snow/mountain travel observations on the Mountain Information Network.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Loose wet avalanches will be the norm as we move through the Spring-time warm-up.

Wind slab and storm slab avalanches are possible in high, North-facing terrain with the passage of storm fronts.

Glide avalanches from steep, unsupported slopes at all elevations are possible as the mountains shed their winter coat.

Cornice collapses will increase in frequency as the temperatures continue to rise.

Snowpack Summary

The snow surface likely consists of a mix of hard melt-freeze crust and dry snow depending on aspect and elevation. Sun-exposed slopes may undergo daily melting and freezing whereas northerly alpine slopes could remain dry with potential slabs.

Layers of weak faceted grains may persist in the middle to lower sections of the snowpack. There is potential for these layers to reawaken under periods of intense or prolonged warming or rain.

Weather Summary

Weather details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Specific weather details can be found at Spotwx.com, clicking your location over Glacier National Park.

Environment Canada has daily forecasts for both Revelstoke and Golden.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Start your day early and be out of avalanche terrain during the heat of the day.
The more the snowpack warms up and weakens, the more conservative your terrain selection should be.
A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

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.