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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 20th, 2026–Feb 21st, 2026

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

Regions

Sugarbowl, McGregor, Pine Pass.

Wind slabs may remain triggerable on isolated lee slopes.
Expect to find wind slabs in irregular terrain, including openings below treeline.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, explosive control near Pine Pass produced several cornice falls and entrained loose snow in the size 1.5 to 2.5 range.

Several size 1.5-2 wind slabs occurred on southwesterly slopes in the Pine Pass during Tuesday and Wednesday's strong winds.

Shooting cracks were also observed at Morfee on Tuesday.

Looking forward, riders may trigger wind slab avalanches on wind-loaded slopes in isolated areas.

Snowpack Summary

Previous strong winds funnelled deep into valleys and formed extensive wind slabs on all aspects. This included even lower elevations with openings below treeline in some areas. Check all steep open slopes for slabs before committing to them.

In some areas, the wind stripped the snow in wind-exposed terrain down to the early-February melt-freeze crust. In wind-sheltered terrain, around 50 cm of snow overlies this crust. It seems well-bonded and is not considered a problem at this time.

The remainder of the snowpack is consolidated with no layers of concern.

Weather Summary

Friday Night
Mostly cloudy. 0 to 2 cm of snow. 10 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -16 °C.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -19 °C.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -19 °C.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. 0 to 3 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Keep your guard up at all elevations. Wind slab formation has been extensive and could extend into openings below treeline.
  • Recent strong wind means wind slabs may be found farther downslope than expected.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been affected by wind.

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.