Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 12th, 2026–Apr 13th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Little Yoho, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Variable amounts of new snow (3 to 15 cm) with light wind have refreshed skiing in some areas. Start early and finish early to avoid daytime warming.

Confidence

Avalanche Summary

Sunshine reported several small loose wet avalanches, both natural and ski cut, involving the recent 7 cm of new snow as it became moist with daytime heating. This occurred on all aspects except high polar aspects. No other avalanches were observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

3 to 15 cm of new snow fell with very light to calm winds, overlying sun and temperature crusts on all aspects to 2300 m, and to ridge top on solar aspects. New snow will become reactive with minimal solar input, while prolonged heating may break down underlying crusts. True north aspects hold dry, settled snow above 2300 m. The Jan 24 layer is down 70 to 160+ cm over a generally strong snowpack.

Weather Summary

Clear morning with unsettled afternoon conditions and potential for convective build up. Winds are forecast to remain light to moderate from the west southwest. Temperatures will be on the cool side of seasonal, with valley highs near 5 and ridge top temperatures around -5.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Cornices often break further back than expected; give them a wide berth when traveling on ridgetops.

Problems

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.