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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 8th, 2026–Jan 9th, 2026

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

Regions

North Rockies, East Kakwa, Tumbler.


Strong wind will continue to reshape the snowpack. Be cautious anywhere that looks extra deep or where the wind is actively moving snow.

A persistent layer remains a concern in this region.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.
  • Uncertainty is due to the extreme variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

Jan 4 to 8

  • No new avalanches reported but observations are limited.

Snowpack Summary

Strong westerly wind has blown 25 cm of recent snowfall into slabs in leeward alpine and treeline terrain.

A persistent weak layer formed in mid-December, consisting of a crust with weak facet and was the cause of a large natural avalanche cycle in the middle of last week. This layer is now buried 50 to 170 cm deep, depending on the aspect and wind loading.

In thin snowpack areas, faceted grains or depth hoar may exist at the base of the snowpack.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night
Partly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 2 cm of snow. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Sunday
Mostly sunny. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.


More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.

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.