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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 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.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Little Yoho, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Warm temperatures are causing uncertainty on Wednesday but will stabilize later in the week.

Mt Stephen, Mt Field, Mt Dennis, Mt Bosworth and Cathedral Mountain are CLOSED on Wednesday, January 14th. See banner above for more info.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to rapidly fluctuating freezing levels.

Avalanche Summary

Parks Canada conducted a heli-bombing mission on the Sunshine access road today and got minimal results. 8/18 shots triggered windslabs that were size 1 to small size 2.

Ski hills were reporting fewer results than expected but both were reporting touchy cornices with Sunshine triggering a size 2 with shoveling. Lake Louise patrollers triggered a couple size 1 windslabs in lee alpine terrain that failed ~ 50 cm deep but not on the first ski cut.

Snowpack Summary

30-70 cm of recent snow with W-SW wind has formed windslabs. In sheltered areas below treeline, this new snow sits on a layer of surface hoar buried on Jan 3. This layer is spotty but is more prominent in western areas.

Warming temps on Jan 13th are causing moist surface snow to treeline.

50-90 cm overlies the Dec 15 melt-freeze crust, present to 1800-2000 m, and 100-200 cm over the November facet/crust interfaces. In thinner snowpack areas, facets are present at the base

Weather Summary

A ridge of high pressure is building over the region bringing dry conditions for the foreseeable future. Overnight Tuesday, a warm layer of air will bring freezing levels quite high (~ 3000m), but cooling will start on Wednesday with more seasonal temperatures on Thursday and Friday. Winds will be moderate to strong from the West on Wednesday which may keep things cooler, but ease on Thursday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
  • Approach steep and open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, as buried surface hoar may exist.

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.

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.