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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 14th, 2025–Dec 17th, 2025

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

Regions

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

The start of the week brings a series of storms. These storms come with significant precip amounts, high temperatures, and strong to extreme winds. Careful travel and snowpack assessment will be required, as conditions vary drastically by elevation band. Below treeline rain will continue to erode the limited snowpack.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

Numerous natural slab and wet loose avalanches were observed at the end of last week with results up to size 3.

Snowpack Summary

Our current storm totals in the alpine sit atop a 5-15 cm crust. Underneath is our last week's snowfall, which ranges from rain below treeline to 100 cm in the alpine. At 1700 m and above, the base of the snowpack consists of a series of crusts and facets to the ground. Below 1700 m the snowpack is moist to ground. Alpine snowpack depths are 70-150 cm; however, below treeline depths are as low as 15cm with vegetation and logs exposed.

Weather Summary

Monday

Wet snow mixed with rain, up to 17 cm. Alpine H of 3 °C. Wind gusts SW to 100 km/hr. 2500 m freezing level.

Tues

Wet snow, up to 14 cm. Alpine L of -3 °C and H of 1 °C. Wind gusts SW to 85 km/h. 2200 m freezing level.

Wed

Wet snow, up to 21 cm. Alpine L of -7 °C and H of 2 °C. Wind gusts SW to 105 km/h. 2400 m freezing level.

For current weather forecast, please see Mountain Weather Forecast

Current ECC weather table can be found Here

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.