Avalanche forecast

Lizard-Flathead

Mar 9 – 10, 2026Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 7 months ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

Uncertainty remains around persistent weak layers.

Avalanches are unlikely where a supportive crust exists—stick to simple terrain where it thins or disappears.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Wind slabs may sit over a crust, increasing reactivity. Look for signs of recent wind loading, winds have varied across the region and may be further downslope than you expect.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    Surface hoar or a crust remains possible for human triggering.

    Greatest concern is for north and east facing slopes at treeline, in terrain where no supportive surface crust exists.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about how quickly the snowpack will recover and gain strength.
  • We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

Slab avalanches were reported on Sunday, to size 1.

Moving forward, both wind and persistent slabs remain triggerable by riders at higher elevations.

Snowpack Summary

Strong west winds have redistributed light accumulations of storm snow at higher elevations.

Rain has formed a supportive crust to around 2000 m. Where this crust is absent or unsupportive, concern remains for a persistent weak layer of surface hoar or crust buried 40-90 cm deep (pictured below). Reactivity appears lower near the ski hill and in the Lizard Range, but riders are still sporadically triggering it elsewhere across the region.

Weather Summary

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy. 4 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 3 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 25 to 35 cm of snow. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • A hard crust on the snow surface will help strengthen the snowpack, but may cause tough travel conditions.

Regions covered