Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 24th, 2026–Feb 25th, 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

Kootenay Boundary, Bonnington, Grohman, Kootenay Pass, Norns, Rossland, Ymir, Kokanee, Valhalla, Whatshan.

Persistent slabs sitting on a weak layer of surface hoar remain likely to human trigger.

Strong west winds may form reactive wind slabs in open terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about how quickly persistent slabs are gaining strength.

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday, a rider triggered a large (size 2.5) persistent slab avalanche near Whitewater. It occurred on a northeast aspect at treeline. See MIN for details.

Numerous rider triggered, large persistent slabs have been reported on all aspects and elevations over the past few days.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of recent snow accompanied by strong southwest wind has formed deeper deposits on north and east aspects. In sheltered terrain it will overlie a layer of surface hoar or a sun crust. The snow surface is expected to become moist on sun exposed slopes.

Several concerning weak layers exist in the upper snowpack:

  • Mid February surface hoar and sun crust buried 15 to 40 cm deep.

  • February 7th surface hoar and crust buried 25 to 45 cm deep.

  • January 26th surface hoar, crust, and facet layer buried 50 to 80 cm deep.

The mid and lower snowpack are well settled.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Thursday
Cloudy. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Strong wind is building wind slabs farther downslope than usual.
  • Be aware of the potential for remote triggering and large avalanches due to buried surface hoar.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
  • In times of uncertainty, conservative terrain choices are our best defense.

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.