Avalanche forecast

South Okanagan

Jan 8 – 9, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Wind will continue to build fresh wind slabs, be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.


Verify conditions and check for signs of instability before entering steep slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Moderate southwest wind is forming fresh wind slabs at upper elevations. In some areas slabs may be more reactive where they overlay surface hoar or a crust.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Avalanche Summary

Jan 5 to 7

  • No new avalanches have been reported.

Jan 4

  • Very small (0.5) avalanches were reported in the area around sun peaks at lower elevations.

    If you head into the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of new snow has been accompanied by moderate southwest winds which adds to the 10 to 15 cm that has accumulated over the past few days totalling about 25 cm.

This snow may be sitting on a thin crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar or a rime crust in isolated areas.

A mid-December crust lies 40–50 cm deep, found up to 2200 m. Additional crusts exist in the mid and lower snowpack, including a mid-November crust with facets above and below, but neither of these layers are currently a concern.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. Up to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 2 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. Up to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Start on smaller terrain features and gather information before committing to bigger terrain.

Regions covered