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

Mar 23rd, 2026–Mar 24th, 2026

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

Regions

Kootenay Boundary, Purcells, Bonnington, Grohman, Kootenay Pass, Norns, Rossland, Ymir, Crawford, Moyie, St. Mary, Kokanee, Retallack, Valhalla.

Snowfall is expected to form reactive slabs at higher elevations over the day.

Watch for deeper and more sensitive slabs near ridgelines and mid slope rollovers.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the forecast weather.
  • We are uncertain due to the variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on Sunday. Last week's rain and warm temperatures produced a widespread wet avalanche cycle. Moving forward, we expect reactivity to rider triggers, especially in wind-loaded terrain features.

If you are heading into the backcountry, please consider sharing conditions via the MIN.

Snowpack Summary

By Tuesday afternoon, up to 20 cm of new snow may have fallen, redistributed into deeper deposits on north and east facing slopes. New snow sits over a melt-freeze crust, which will likely bond poorly. Rain is expected at lower elevations.

Up to 50 cm of snow lies now over a crust (1 to 10 cm thick) from early March. Persistent weak layers may linger within the upper 120 cm of the snowpack. These remain a concern where supportive crust exists above.

The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and strong in most areas.

Weather Summary

Monday Night
Partly cloudy. 2 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Tuesday
Cloudy. 15 to 20 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level rise in the afternoon 1600 to 2000 m.

Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Thursday
Mostly sunny. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.