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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2026–Mar 20th, 2026

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

Regions

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

Freezing levels are rising to above ridgetop and a mix of ran and snow will fall during the forecast period.

Exercise caution on steeps slopes with moist surface snow. Wet avalanches may run bigger and farther with a solid crust underneath to slide on.

Confidence

Moderate

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

Avalanche Summary

One size 2 wind slab avalanche and a few wet loose avalanches to size 1.5 were observed in the past few days.

Snowpack Summary

Strong winds continue to redistribute snow into wind slabs and create widespread wind-affected surfaces. The surface snow is moist to 2000m on all aspects with rising the freezing level. A crust is down 20-40cm and 2-8 cm thick with several other crusts deeper in the snowpack. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled with total snowpack depth ranging from 130-220 cm at treeline and in the alpine. 40-120cm below treeline.

Weather Summary

Wednesday

Scattered showers, 4 mm of rain/snow. Low of 2 °C. High of 3 °C. Wind gusting to 60 km/h. Freezing level of 2500 m.

Thursday

Isolated showers. Low of 0 °C. High of 4 °C. Wind gusting to 65 km/h. Freezing level of 2700 m.

Friday

Scattered showers, 5 mm rain/snow. Low of 4 °C. High of 8 °C. Wind gusting to 70 km/h. Freezing level of 3000 m.

Current weather forecast: Mountain Weather Forecast

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.
  • Recent strong wind means wind slabs may be found farther downslope than expected.

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.