Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 5th, 2026–Apr 6th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

Start Early and Finish Early with the warm temperature and 2600m freezing level. The avalanche hazard will start off as Moderate early in the morning and could increase to CONSIDERABLE on solar aspects. Be aware of the terrain above you. Sheltered North aspects have the best odds of finding good, dry snow.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed or reported on Sunday. Expect wet loose avalanches on steep solar aspects on Monday with the warming. Best to start early and be off the slopes by mid-day to early afterrnoon.

Snowpack Summary

Wind slabs can be found in alpine terrain, mostly on Easterly aspects and cross loading in gullies. The treeline zone has mostly been spared of wind slabs but this can change on Monday with the 60-70km/h winds forecast. Expect to find a temprature/sun crust early in the morning on solar aspects, quickly changing to moist snow up to mountain top sometime later in the morning.

Weather Summary

Monday will be quite warm with alpine temparatures forecast to rise to 5c and a freezing level of 2600m. Monday should bring a mix of sun and cloud so expect high solar input, softening the snow on solar aspects in the morning. Winds will start out to be light and then start to increase to strong from the SW around noon.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Start your day early and be out of avalanche terrain during the heat of the day.
Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

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.