Avalanche forecast

Esplanade

Jan 2 – 3, 2026Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 9 months ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

Watch for reactive wind slabs at higher elevations, especially where the snowpack is thin or variable. In these areas, avalanches could step down to buried crusts and facets.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Reactive wind slabs may still be present in steep, exposed terrain at higher elevations.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Use extra caution in areas with a thin, uniform snowpack (less than 100 cm). These areas are inherently weak, with heavily faceted snow and crusts closer to the surface, making them easier to trigger.

Confidence

High

  • Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern with little change expected.
  • Uncertainty is due to the complexity of the snowpack’s structure.

Avalanche Summary

A size 1.5 skier-triggered avalanche occurred in the backcountry near Panorama on Wednesday. This avalanche occurred in a very shallow area (roughly 50 cm deep), likely failing on facets near the base of the snowpack. Check out the MIN report here.

Snowpack Summary

Recent storm snow is continuing to settle and strengthen. In exposed alpine and treeline areas, wind-affected surfaces remain. On steep, south-facing slopes, a thin sun crust is likely.

In the mid-snowpack, a melt-freeze crust exists that was buried in mid-December. This layer is most prevalent at treeline elevations and below.

The lower snowpack consists of a thick melt-freeze crust, with weak faceted snow and/or depth hoar near the ground in areas.

Snow depths vary widely across the region, averaging roughly 100 to 200 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night
Partly cloudy. Trace amounts of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. Trace amounts of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

Regions covered