Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 21st, 2026–Apr 22nd, 2026

Alpine

Spring Conditions

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.

A cold front will bring a dramatic shift in weather on Wednesday. Increased cloud cover, cooler temperatures, and strengthening winds will bring a more winter-like feel to the region over the next few days.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

We continue to receive reports of wind slab avalanches in the high alpine. Most have been either skier-triggered or initiated by cornice failures, triggering a slab below. A loose wet natural avalanche cycle continued Tuesday, but is expected to taper as a cold front brings increased cloud cover and cooler temperatures to the region. The primary concern on Wednesday will be lingering wind slabs on high northerly aspects.

Snowpack Summary

North-facing aspects above 2600 m hold dry, wind-affected snow. On solar aspects, a crust extends to ridgetop and has been weakening under daytime heating. As a cooling trend moves into the region, a widespread surface crust will lock in the snowpack everywhere except on high north-facing terrain. In valley bottoms, snow will likely continue to melt with daytime warming.

Weather Summary

Wednesday will bring a dramatic shift in the weather as a cold front moves into the region. Expect cloud cover and light precipitation throughout the day, with snow accumulation of up to 5 cm at higher elevations. Temperatures will cool, with freezing levels around 2000m on Wednesday, dropping to valley bottoms by Thursday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.

Problems

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.

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.