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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 18th, 2025–Feb 19th, 2025

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Wind slabs linger at upper elevations. Travelling around is OK but ski quality is generally poor.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Yesterday, very isolated and very small naturally triggered sluffs were observed in steep Alpine terrain on solar aspects. No slab avalanches observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 5cm of recent snow is overlying mostly wind slabs in the alpine. These near surface wind slabs continue to be the most concerning issue in our snowpack. They are essentially widespread, but vary in thickness and density. Areas of hard slab are the most concerning as they are the most likely to propagate. In sheltered areas, or areas that haven't seen travel the snowpack is still very weak. While walking or skiing it isn't uncommon to punch to ground. Snowpack depths remain well below average. The snow profile below shows how weak the snowpack is in most areas.

Weather Summary

Wednesday should climb to -7c along with a mix of sun and cloud and possibly a light flurry. Winds are forecast to be light out of the SW.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Carefully evaluate big and steep terrain features before committing to them.
  • Avoid steep terrain, including convex rolls, or areas with a thin, rocky, or variable snowpack.
  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.

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.