Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 14th, 2026–Feb 15th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Northwest Inland, Kitimat, Nass, Rupert, Seven Sisters, Shames, Howson, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair.

Human-triggered avalanches are likely as the new snow settles.

Areas unaffected by wind will offer the best riding quality and the lowest avalanche hazard.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, several natural and skier-accidental size 1.5 to 2 storm and wind slab avalanches occurred in the region.

More notably, a few size 2 natural and skier-accidental avalanches were reported to fail on the February 6th crust on the same day. The skier-accidental avalanche was not triggered by the first member of the group; this points toward the crust having the potential to be a trickier persistent problem.

Be sure to post your observations to the MIN if you get out!

Snowpack Summary

Approximately 30 to 60 cm of storm snow has accumulated, accompanied by strong southerly winds, burying a widespread crust that developed in early February. This crust is generally stronger and more supportive at treeline and above, while it is weaker or absent below treeline, where moist snow persists beneath the new snow.

A January 26 crust with surface hoar or faceted snow lies 60 to 120 cm deep, likely persisting only at higher elevations. At lower elevations, it has been rain-soaked and destroyed.

Otherwise, the snowpack is generally well settled and well bonded, with no other significant concerns.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Sunday
Cloudy. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 3 cm of snow. 40 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.

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.