Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 18th, 2026–Apr 19th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Regions

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

It is Spring time. High freezing levels and sunny skies will create unstable conditions in the afternoon when the day warms up. Start and end your day early.

Confidence

Moderate

We are uncertain about how the timing or intensity of solar radiation will affect the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

A skier-triggered wind slab was reported on Mount Aberdeen on Saturday.

Solar input began to break down southerly aspects on Saturday. As heating continues, we expect an increase in avalanche activity over the next few days.

Snowpack Summary

North aspects hold previously wind-affected dry snow. On solar aspects, a new crust is expected to form overnight up to ridgetop. With continued daytime heating over the next few days, solar aspects and lower-elevation snowpack will weaken and break down. The lower snowpack is generally well settled.

Weather Summary

A ridge of high pressure is expected to hold through till Wednesday. Expect strong solar input during the day, leading to rising freezing levels with peak daytime heating. Freezing levels on Sunday are forecast to reach 2500 m, climbing to around 3000 m by Tuesday. Overnight recovery should be decent, with nightly lows near zero.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Limit exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.

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.

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.