Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 13th, 2026–Jan 14th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

North Rockies, East Kakwa, Tumbler.

Strong southwest wind will build fresh and reactive wind slabs at upper elevations. Wind slabs have the potential to step down to a deeper weak layer.

Confidence

Moderate

Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.
Uncertainty is due to rapidly fluctuating freezing levels.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported.

Snowpack Summary

Ongoing and sustained southwest winds combined with light precipitation are continuing to build wind slabs and cornices. Wet snow surfaces may exist as high as 1700 m.

A crust from mid December, surrounded by weak facets, is buried 50 to 170 cm deep, depending on aspect and wind loading.

In thin snowpack areas, faceted grains or depth hoar may exist at the base of the snowpack. Snowpack depths are well above average for this time of year, around 2 m at treeline.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy. 100 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 3400 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy. 3 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 90 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Thursday
Mostly sunny. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Friday
Sunny. 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
Avoid steep terrain that is rocky and thin.
A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.