Avalanche forecast

North Columbia

Mar 22 – 23, 2026Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 6 months ago

Avalanche danger

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

Highlights

The recent storm snow is likely still reactive to human triggering, especially in wind-loaded terrain at higher elevations.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1.5–3.5

    Cornices are large and fragile following the recent stormy conditions. Use caution around cornices, particularly during periods of sun.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2.5–4

    Multiple weak layers buried up to 2.5 m have produced very large avalanches recently. While the likelihood of triggering these layers is now pretty low, they still deserve respect until we have more post-storm information.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    The recent storm snow is expected to remain reactive to triggering at high elevations where a crust is not present on the surface. This storm snow will be most reactive in wind loaded areas.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about how quickly the snowpack will recover and gain strength.
  • We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

The recent atmospheric river weather event resulted in a widespread avalanche cycle which ended on Friday. Avalanches occurred on all aspects and elevations, and were a mix of slab and loose, wet and dry. Avalanches up to size 4 were observed and many were running full path to valley bottom.

While natural avalanche activity has now tapered off, it may still be possible to trigger avalanches, especially above the rainline where the snow surface remained dry.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of snow over the weekend has buried a widespread crust present in all but high alpine terrain. Above approximately 2200 m, 100 cm or more of recent storm snow has accumulated, accompanied by strong winds.

Deeper weak layers remain in the snowpack but are now much less likely to be triggered, particularly where a supportive crust exists just below the surface.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Monday
Mostly sunny. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 5 to 15 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.
  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.

Regions covered