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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 1st, 2026–Apr 2nd, 2026

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

Regions

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

Skiing conditions have been excellent on sheltered northerly aspects. The main concern in the snowpack is lingering wind slabs in the alpine, as well as exposure to large overhead cornices, as we have recently seen cornice failures initiate large avalanches.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed or reported on Wednesday.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slabs persist in the alpine. On solar aspects, a surface crust has formed, which is more pronounced at lower elevations. On polar aspects, 20–50 cm of snow overlies the March 20 rain crust, which exists below 2100–2300 m. Cornice growth continues.

The Jan 24th facet layer is buried 70–180 cm deep at treeline and in the alpine, with some tests still producing hard, sudden results

Weather Summary

No significant change in the forecast for the coming days. Temperatures will remain cooler, with nightly lows around -10°C and daytime highs near zero at valley bottom. We can expect a mix of sun and cloud with a trace amount of precipitation, and ridgetop winds will stay in the light to moderate range.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.

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.

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.