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

Apr 4th, 2026–Apr 5th, 2026

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

Regions

Haines Pass, Chilkat Pass.

Choosing moderate-angled slopes with thick, uniform snowpack coverage is a good way to avoid triggering both wind slabs and the much more destructive weak layer deeper in the snowpack.

Confidence

Low

  • We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.
  • We are uncertain about how quickly persistent slabs are gaining strength.

Avalanche Summary

Last Saturday, a skier-triggered size 2 persistent slab was reported on the US side of the border. This avalanche occurred on a northwest aspect at approximately 1500 m and ran on the mid-February layer. This layer is a concern on the Canadian side as well.

We suspect that avalanche activity has been tapering over the past few days, but observations are very limited. If you are heading into the mountains, please post a Mountain Information Network report!

Snowpack Summary

About 5 cm of new snow has buried or combined with recent wind slabs and hard wind-pressed surfaces in exposed terrain while adding to softer snow in sheltered areas or faceting northerly aspects. If the wind let it accumulate, it buried sun crust on or near the surface of sun-exposed slopes.

A persistent weak layer of facets and crust is buried 80 to 150 cm deep, extending up to about 1400 m. The greatest concern for triggering comes from large loads, such as cornice falls, or from human triggering in areas where the snowpack transitions from thin to thick. This layer appears most reactive closer to the coast, with decreasing reactivity farther inland.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night
Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Sunday
Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -3 °C.

Monday
Mostly cloudy with flurries continuing from overnight bringing up to 5 total cm of new snow. 20 to 40 km/h east ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline high temperature 0 °C.

Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -2 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.

Problems

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.

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.