Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 21st, 2025–Mar 22nd, 2025

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Human-triggered avalanches remain likely.

Decision-making can become more challenging as the signs of danger become less obvious. Manage your desires carefully.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Over the past two weeks, many avalanches up to size 3.5 have occurred, including human-triggered, remote-triggered, and natural slides, mostly on persistent layers, often reaching the ground.

On March 18th, a group digging a snowpit in low-angle terrain on Observation Peak felt a whump, triggering 5-6 remote avalanches up to size 2.5.

The photos below show the Observation avalanche and a Bow Summit slide, highlighting deep slab potential below treeline.

Snowpack Summary

Over the past 10 days, 40-90 cm of snow has accumulated and settled into a slab, with the deepest amounts found in the Bow Summit area and along the Wapta. This sits on a very weak, faceted mid and lower snowpack and fails easily in snowpack tests also see Friday's Bow Summit fracture line profile attached below. This condition will be slow to stabilize.

Expect a surface crust on solar aspects treeline and below.

Weather Summary

Saturday - Trace amounts of snow, light to moderate winds.

Sunday - mainly cloudy, moderate West wind

see the table below

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Remote triggering is a big concern, be aware of the potential for wide propagations and large, destructive avalanches at all elevations.
  • Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.

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.

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.