Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 3rd, 2026–Jan 4th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

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.

Watch for reactive wind slabs at higher elevations, especially where the snowpack is thin or variable.

Confidence

Moderate

Forecast precipitation (either snow or rain) amounts are uncertain.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported in the last few days.

Last Wednesday, near Golden, a size 2.5 avalanche was reported, likely triggered by warming alpine temperatures and strong solar input. The slide released on a steep, wind-loaded, ridgetop slope with a generally shallow snowpack. See MIN report here.

Additionally, near Panorama, a size 1.5 skier-triggered avalanche occurred in a very shallow area, likely failing on a layer of facets. See MIN report here.

Snowpack Summary

A dusting of new snow covers a variety of old surfaces, including surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain and a sun crust on steep south-facing slopes.

In the mid-snowpack, a melt-freeze crust exists that was buried in mid-December. This layer is most prevalent at treeline elevations and below.

The lower snowpack consists of a thick melt-freeze crust, with weak faceted snow and/or depth hoar near the ground in areas.

Snow depths vary widely across the region, averaging roughly 100 to 200 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy. Up to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Monday

Mostly cloudy. Up to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level 300 m.

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.
Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
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.