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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 22nd, 2025–Dec 23rd, 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 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.

Regions

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

Avalanche control continues to produce spectacular results in alpine terrain.

Continue to use caution as you approach, or are exposed to, higher terrain. This is where the persistent slab has been the most reactive and where the winds have developed slab properties in the mid and upper snowpack.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

Avalanche Summary

The ski hills produced mainly windslabs in previously worked terrain: 20-30cm deep up to sz 2 (some running far at Lake Louise). SSV produced a few slabs up to sz 2.5 on the ground in windward, previously shallow, terrain.

Control work on Hwy 93N mainly gave slabs on the ground and others on the persistent slab up to sz 3. But: the Hector path went sz 4. The initial slab continued to pull sidewalls through the upper track, depositing a pile 4 m deep, 30 m wide, and 50m long on the road.

Snowpack Summary

10-20cm of snow over the last 48 hours brings the total snow depth over the December 15 melt-freeze crust (below ~2000m) up to 35-60cm. Moderate to strong S-W winds continue to develop slabs in the alpine and at treeline.

The mid-November facet/crust layers are down 80-140 cm and remain active this week with numerous large natural and explosive controlled avalanches.

Treeline snow depths are between100-180 cm.

Weather Summary

The low on BC coast will spin a few pulses to the region with a SW flow as the cold air holds over the prairies.

A brisk cold front will bring a few cm of snow early Tuesday with winds increasing to the moderate to strong range in the alpine. Temperatures at treeline steady near -10C. Winds back off a bit through the day as skies clear.

Another system Wednesday.

Link to updated weather forecast tables from Environment Canada

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger 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.