Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 5th, 2026–Apr 6th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Glacier.

Warm temperatures and spring sunshine will increase the avalanche hazard as the day heats up, reduce your exposure to sunny slopes accordingly.

North facing slopes still hold dry snow and good skiing.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are weak cornices, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

Sunshine and warm temperatures triggered a small loose wet avalanche cycle from steep terrain over the weekend.

Near neighbors have been reporting cornice failures this week, both natural and explosive triggered.

A widespread, natural avalanche cycle occurred up to size 4.0 on Mar 19-20 during the atmospheric river. Check out pics from this exceptional avalanche cycle in the MIN Reports.

Snowpack Summary

Depending on the time of day you will find a widespread crust or wet snow on sunny slopes while shaded northerly slopes still hold settled dry snow.

A series of crusts formed in March are present down 50-150 cm.

Travel can be challenging below treeline with frozen tree bombs and huge avalanche debris from the mid-March atmospheric river.

Weather Summary

Warm spring weather with a brief cool down on Tuesday.

Tonight Clear periods, no precip. Alpine low 2°C. Winds SE light. Freezing level (FZL) 1500m.

Mon Cloudy with isolated showers. Alp High 5°C. Wind SW 25 gusting to 90km/h. FZL 2600m.

Tues Flurries, 8cm. High -1°C low -10°C. Wind W 25 gusting to 75km/h. FZL 1800m.

Wed Mix of sun & cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine high -1°C. FZL 1900m

Terrain and Travel Advice

Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
Avoid travelling on slopes below cornices.
Loose avalanches may start small, but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.