Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
New snow and wind are forming fresh and reactive wind slabs in leeward terrain features at upper elevations.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapRossland
Jan 12 – 13, 2026Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 9 months ago
Avalanche danger
Wed
Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
The most likely place to trigger an avalanche is in freshly wind-loaded terrain features at upper elevations.
Avalanche problems
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
Explosive control work on Friday produced size 1-2 wind slabs out of steep alpine ridgeline lees. On Saturday, a skier reportedly triggered a small persistent slab avalanche in the trees, running on a crust buried in mid December.
Observations have been limited. If you head into the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
As small amounts of new snow arrive with wind, wind slabs continue to build in leeward alpine and treeline terrain.
The mid to lower snowpack contains a few crust/facet layers including one buried in mid December, now 50 to 70 cm deep. This layer may become a concern in the coming days as temperatures rise.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
Cloudy. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Monday
Cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 5 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2600 m.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 3000 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 freshly wind-loaded terrain features.