Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 19th, 2026–Apr 21st, 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

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

Freezing levels to above mountain top, minimal to no overnight crust recovery, The snowpack is undergoing a big spring change. A good time to give the snowpack time to adjust and fully transition to spring conditions. Cold temperatures are due back Wednesday.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

No notable avalanches observed or reported, good evidence of ongoing wet loose on steep solar aspects with daytime warming and direct solar input.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is going through big change with intense solar and freezing levels to mountain top. Moist snow can be found everywhere during the daytime high temps. Highest North aspects may hold the best chance of dry snow. Wind effect is pretty wide spread on polar aspects.

Weather Summary

Sunday night, freezing levels will stay at 2600m

Monday:

Cloudy with sunny periods, No precip expected with alpine temperatures reaching +5.

West winds at ridge top up to 40km/h

Freezing levels up to 3100m

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.
Triggering deep layers is more likely if the snow surface didn't freeze overnight.
Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
Keep in mind that the high density of wet avalanches can make them destructive.
A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

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.