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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 30th, 2025–Dec 31st, 2025

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, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Esplanade, Dogtooth, East Purcell, St. Mary.

Reactive wind slabs persist at higher elevations.

Some areas may experience above-freezing alpine temperatures on Wednesday, which could increase the likelihood of avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

  • 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 few small (size 1 to 2) rider-triggered avalanches were reported over the weekend. These were primarily around treeline elevations on southerly terrain, failing 10 to 40 cm deep.

On Saturday, a larger skier-triggered avalanche in the Golden area appeared to step down to a buried crust in the lower snowpack. This occurred on a treeline slope with a shallow, thin to thick snowpack.

Snowpack Summary

Variable winds have created wind-affected surfaces at upper elevations. Where sheltered from the recent wind, the recent storm snow remains generally low-density.

The mid-snowpack contains a strong melt-freeze crust buried in mid-December that exists at treeline elevations and below.

A second crust, buried in November, sits near the base of the snowpack and is associated with faceted snow. This layer extends into alpine terrain and has been a lingering concern throughout the season, particularly in shallow alpine or treeline areas where the mid-December crust is absent. In these locations, the November crust may lack a supportive overlying layer and remain susceptible to triggering.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Clear skies. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C, with a chance of above-freezing temperatures in alpine terrain.

Wednesday
Sunny. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C, with a chance of above-freezing temperatures in alpine terrain.

Thursday
Sunny. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °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.
  • Avoid lee and cross-loaded slopes at alpine and treeline elevations.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • The more the snowpack warms up and weakens, the more conservative your terrain selection should be.

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.