Avalanche forecast

Microwave-Sinclair

Mar 16 – 17, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 7 months ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
3 · Considerable

Highlights

A significant amount of new snow and rain are causing dangerous avalanche conditions.

Reduce your exposure to overhead hazard and stay away from run-out zones.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    A buried layer of facets in the snowpack is expected to be more reactive in wind-affected thin rocky terrain features. Triggering of this layer is less likely where a supportive crust is present above.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Moderate to heavy precipitation and strong southerly winds will build reactive storm slabs on Monday.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Rain and warm temperatures are destabilizing the recent snow. Wet loose avalanches will remain possible as long as temperatures stay above zero degrees or it's raining.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Persistent slabs could become more likely with the forecast weather.
  • We are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported in the past few days.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you're seeing by submitting a MIN report.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 60 cm of new snow will have fallen above 1400 m by Tuesday morning, accompanied by strong southerly winds. This new snow is falling on surface hoar and faceted snow from recent cold temperatures.

Below this, a layer of facets from early February and a thick crust from late January are at a similar depth between 80 and 120 cm below the snow surface. These layers remain possible to trigger with large loads and are most likely to be found on north-facing slopes.

Weather Summary

Monday Night
Cloudy. 15 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Thursday
Mostly sunny. 1 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • Carefully manage your exposure to overhead hazards.
  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.

Regions covered