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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 24th, 2026–Feb 25th, 2026

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

Regions

Lizard-Flathead, South Rockies, Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

Strong west wind may form reactive wind slabs in open terrain.

At treeline and below, persistent slabs sitting on a weak layer of surface hoar remain possible to human trigger.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Persistent slabs could become more likely with the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, numerous rider trigered size 1 wind slabs were reported on primarily north and east aspects at treeline and above. Forecast strong winds may increase avalanche activity.

Observations are currently very limited in this region. Please consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 15 cm of recent snow accompanied by strong to extreme southwest wind has formed deeper deposits on north and east aspects. In sheltered terrain it could overlie a layer of surface hoar or a sun crust. The snow surface may become moist on sun exposed slopes.

Several weak layers comprised of facets, surface hoar, or crusts could exist in the top 20 to 60 cm of the snowpack.

The mid and lower snowpack are well settled.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear skies. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Thursday
Cloudy. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 70 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

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.
  • Strong wind is building wind slabs farther downslope than usual.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
  • Be aware of the potential for remote triggering and large avalanches due to buried surface hoar.
  • In times of uncertainty, conservative terrain choices are our best defense.

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.