Avalanche forecast

Crowsnest North

Jan 17 – 18, 2026Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 8 months ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

A layer of warm air in the alpine may cause wet loose avalanches.

There is a thick crust on the surface that can make travel difficult.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Wet loose avalanches may occur in steep terrain when the surface becomes moist from sun or daytime warming.

Confidence

High

  • We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday, there were some small wet loose avalanches triggered by skiers in the south.

Snowpack Summary

A thick crust is effectively capping the mid and lower snowpack at the moment. This crust is on aspects and elevations. It may not be present in the very high alpine.

Below the crust we have several layers:

  • A spotty layer of surface hoar buried 40 cm deep that is unreactive.

  • A crust in the midpack, at treeline and below.

  • A crust with facets near the base of the snowpack.

Average depth at treeline is 120-200 cm.

Weather Summary

Friday Night
Clear skies. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Saturday
Sunny. 40 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Above freezing layer (AFL) in the alpine.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 cm of snow. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Monday
Sunny. 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
  • Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.
  • This is a good time for exploring terrain.

Regions covered