Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 2nd, 2025–Apr 3rd, 2025

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

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.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

Good skiing can be found on Northerly aspects. Warmer weather is expected for the weekend.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

The forecast calls for 10-15cm of snow with light North winds by Thursday night. This new snow will rest on the previously settled snow which includes a sun crust on solar aspects. At treeline, an average of 30-40cm of recent snow overlies the Mar 28 crust which carries the weight of a skier. Take the time to monitor the presence of this crust; if it is not there, then there could be a higher likelihood of triggering the basal facets. The Jan 30th layer buried 60 to 100cm deep is still a concern. It could become active with intense heating (daytime temps and/or solar input), and it is also problematic on northern aspects at higher elevations and in shallow snowpack areas. Human triggering is possible as well in these areas.

Weather Summary

Another pulse of snow is to begin Wednesday night and go into Thursday. Hopefully we get 10-15cm by Thursday night. Hot weather is expected to start this weekend.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.
Avoid shallow snowpack areas, rocky outcrops, and steep terrain where triggering is most likely.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.