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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 18th, 2025–Apr 21st, 2025

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

Regions

Waterton Lakes, Waterton.

We are entering the spring mountain season. The main problems will be surface instabilities, daytime warming, and looming overhead cornices.

Unfortunately the ice climbing scene is grim with the exception of those willing to get their alpinism on.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday and Friday a few wet loose avalanches were observed at treeline on solar aspects, up to size 1.5.

Snowpack Summary

There is a new surface sun crust on southerly aspects, breaking down each day with daytime warming and solar input. Around 20 cm of dry surface snow on high northerly aspects. Generally the lower snowpack is well settled with the January drought layer down 50-130 cm and a total tree line snowpack depth of 130-200 cm.

Below treeline the snowpack is rapidly decreasing and partially buried hazards and unsupportive snow may exist.

Weather Summary

Light snow through the next few days, beginning Saturday evening. See photo for a more detailed 3-day forecast.

Check out the Mountain Weather Forecast for the most up to date information.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
  • Carefully evaluate big and steep terrain features before committing to them.

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.