Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 26th, 2026–Jan 27th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West.

6 AM Update: Snow is finally coming! And with it, heightened avalanche conditions. Seek out sheltered, lower angle slopes for the best quality and safest skiing and riding.

Confidence

High

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.
We are uncertain about forecast snowfall amounts.

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported since before January 16, but observations are limited. We should see a sharp uptick in avalanche conditions with Tuesday's new snow and wind.

Be sure to post your observations to the MIN if you are out in the mountains!

Snowpack Summary

10 to 15 cm of new snow should accumulate under strong to extreme winds by end-of-day Tuesday, with snowfall favouring the US/Canada border area. The new snow will bury (and wind will contribute to) heavily wind-affected surfaces in most areas.

In sheltered terrain below 1300 m and on south facing slopes, the new snow buries a crust that may have surface hoar preserved on it. Not a good combo!

A weak layer of facets is buried 80 to 150 cm deep and continues to produce hard but sudden snowpack test results. In shallow snowpack areas, the bottom half of the snowpack is composed of weak depth hoar.

Weather Summary

Monday Night
Cloudy with flurries bringing 5 to 10 cm of new snow, greatest near the US/Canada border. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Tuesday
Cloudy with easing flurries and a further 5 to 10 cm of new snow, still greatest near the border. 60 km/h south ridgetop wind, easing in the afternoon. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries and minimal accumulation. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries and 1 to 3 cm of new snow. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.

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.