Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 6th, 2026–Feb 7th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Little Yoho, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Temperatures will be slightly cooler on Saturday, and the avalanche hazard will gradually lower. We still have some concerns about isolated pockets of wind slab and/or a buried persistent layer down 10-30 cm in steep terrain, so watch for these.

A touch of new snow Saturday night will be a welcome addition!

Confidence

Moderate

We are uncertain due to variable freezing levels.

Avalanche Summary

On Friday Lake Louise reported a few small loose wet avalanches at lower elevations in the sun, where the snow pack was thin and becoming isothermal.

One loose wet size 2 was reported on a steep solar aspect in the alpine at Sunshine. Some pin wheeling was also reported out of steep solar terrain in several locations.

Less avalanche activity overall than on Thursday.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temperatures have resulted in crusts or moist snow, depending on the time of day, on solar aspects to treeline and some steep solar alpine terrain. North aspects remain mostly dry and cool. 10-30 cm overlies the Jan 24th interface of surface hoar, crust and/or previously wind-affected snow.

Widespread previous wind effect in alpine and open exposed areas at treeline.

Weather Summary

Saturday: Lowering temperatures overall but still mild. Freezing levels to 2100 m with moderate to strong SW winds (-2°C at treeline). Light snow flurries developing in the evening with up to 5 cm overnight.

Sunday: Flurries in the morning and cooler temperatures with freezing levels to 1800 m (-6°C at treeline). Winds dropping to light from the west.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.
Approach steep and open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, as buried surface hoar may exist.
Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.

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.