Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 20th, 2026–Apr 21st, 2026

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Spring Conditions

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.

Good coverage and excellent access to the alpine. Wind slabs are a daily occurrence. Even small wind slabs can push you into (or off of!) terrain traps where consequences are immediate and unforgiving. Loose wet avalanches are still active with daytime warming.

Confidence

Moderate

We are uncertain about how the timing or intensity of solar radiation will affect the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

Forecasters near the Barbette Glacier observed a natural loose wet cycle to size 2 on solar aspects, occurring midday. Wind slabs were also present on alpine lee features on polar aspects. Sunshine patrol reported several size 1 loose wet avalanches and a size 2 wind slab in the backcountry. Lake Louise patrol observed small loose wet avalanches on steep solar terrain.

Snowpack Summary

North aspects hold dry wind-affected snow. On solar aspects, a crust exist up to ridgetop. With continued daytime heating over the next few days, solar aspects and lower-elevation snowpack will weaken and break down. The lower snowpack is generally well settled.

Weather Summary

Models suggest another clear morning. A weak system arrives late Tuesday into Wednesday, bringing light alpine snow and possible valley rain. Alpine temps near zero with a chance of poor overnight recovery. Winds remain moderate to strong from the SW.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Limit exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.
Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.

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.

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.