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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 22nd, 2026–Feb 23rd, 2026

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

Regions

South Columbia, Esplanade, Jordan, North Monashee, North Selkirk, West Purcell, Badshot-Battle, Central Selkirk, Goat, Gold, Retallack.

Recent very large avalanches have occurred in the region.

Don't get caught off guard; Start on small features and gather info before considering bigger terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

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

Avalanche Summary

Numerous natural and human-triggered wind slab and persistent slab avalanches have been occurring daily. Some of them are being triggered accidentally or remotely and are occurring on all aspects and elevations. Many of these avalanches failed on persistent weak layers, including a serious incident in the Selkirks on Thursday.

Reactivity on the weak layers is expected to continue, and both natural and human-triggered avalanches may be possible.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 10 cm of new snow may have fallen by Monday morning. Strong southerly winds may build fresh wind slabs near ridgetops throughout the day.

Three persistent layers of concern may be found in the upper 150 cm of the snowpack:

  • 25 to 60+ cm down is a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, or a melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed slopes from mid-February.

  • 40 to 100+ cm down is the early-February layer of surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain and a crust on sun-exposed slopes.

  • 70 to 120 cm down is the late-January layer of surface hoar and facets over a melt-freeze crust.

All of these persistent layers continue to cause large avalanches in the region.

The remainder of the snowpack is strong.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night
Cloudy. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Monday
Cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 4 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.




More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Use conservative route selection. Choose simple, low angle terrain with no overhead hazard.
  • Remote triggering is a concern; avoid terrain where triggering overhead slopes is possible.
  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind-affected terrain.

Problems

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.

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.