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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 27th, 2026–Mar 28th, 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

Dogtooth, East Purcell.

Lingering wind slabs may remain possible to trigger on Saturday.

Cornice failures could trigger very large persistent slabs, avoid traveling underneath them.

Confidence

High

  • We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast.

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, one natural and several explosive triggered size 1 wind slabs were reported near Invermere on primarily north aspects at treeline and above.

If you are heading into the backcountry, please consider sharing conditions by posting a MIN.

Snowpack Summary

20 to 35 cm of recent snow and strong southwest winds formed wind slabs on lee aspects at upper elevations.

Below the recent snow is a 5 to 10 cm thick crust that exists on all aspects up to at least 2200 m.

Various persistent weak layers may still exist in the top 150 cm of the snowpack. Triggering very large persistent slabs on these layers may be possible at upper elevations where the crust below the recent snow is thin or not present. Large triggers, like falling cornices, are the most likely to trigger these weak layers.

In shallow snowpack areas, depth hoar (large facets) can be found near the bottom of the snowpack.

Weather Summary

Friday Night
Partly cloudy. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday
Mix of sun and clouds. 0 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Stay off recently wind loaded slopes until they have had a chance to stabilize.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Avoid travelling on slopes below cornices.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to 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.

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.

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.