Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 18th, 2026–Apr 20th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

Spring is showing up. With rising freezing levels, clear skies at night will help with a radiation freeze but expect this to break down fast with the high freezing levels. Start early, end early and observe changing conditions throughout your tour.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

Loose wet on steep solar aspects

Snowpack Summary

Recent storm snow has settled into 20-30cm at ridgeline. Solar effect is limited to low elevation, or due south and steep. Polar aspects still dry snow above 2000m. There is some wind effect in the alpine, especially on polar aspects from the recent north winds, however was unreactive in travel today.

Weather Summary

Sunday:

A mix of sun and cloud, A day time high of +2 and 30 km/h West winds. Freezing levels will remain high overnight and rise to 2800m.

Freezing levels will continue to rise through the week up to 3300m, expect poor overnight recoveries and quick deteriorating conditions especially as the sun hits the slopes.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

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.

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.