Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 20th, 2025–Mar 21st, 2025

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

Regions

North Rockies, Sugarbowl, East Kakwa, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw, Tumbler.

Use caution as you transfer into wind-affected terrain.

Human-triggered avalanches are possible.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Three natural wind slab avalanches were reported on Wednesday. One large (size 2) and two were triggered by cornice failures. One size 2 and one small (size 1) naturally triggered wind slabs were reported on Tuesday.

Snowpack Summary

30 to 60 cm overlies a hard melt-freeze crust and surface hoar crystals in some wind-sheltered treeline terrain.

Variable winds have created windslabs on all aspects near or just below ridge crests in the alpine and treeline elevations.

A weak layer of surface hoar and/or faceted grains buried mid-February is around 50 to 100 cm deep. This layer seems to be gaining strength.

The lower snowpack is well-settled.

Weather Summary

Thursday night

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Expect slab conditions to change drastically as you move into wind-exposed terrain.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.

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.