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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 26th, 2025–Dec 27th, 2025

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

Regions

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

Enjoy the recent snow!

Continue to consider exposure to deep persistent avalanches, overhead and avoiding areas with wind slab in alpine terrain.

Avalanche control is planned for the Mt Bourgeau evening of Dec 26th, and Vermillion Peak and Mt Wymper Dec 27th. The closure zones for these areas will be in effect.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the fact that deep persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.
  • Uncertainty is due to the extreme variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

A few natural avalanches up to size 1.5 from the last 48 hours were observed on a road patrol on the Sunshine road. No other new avalanches were observed or reported.

Snowpack Summary

20-50 cm storm snow in the last 72 hours and moderate southerly and westerly winds have created fresh windslabs in alpine and open treeline terrain. Snowpack continues to settle. There is 35-70 cm settled over top of the Dec 15 melt freeze crust (which is present to ~1800 - 2000m) and the Nov facet/crust interface is down 80-160 cm. Treeline snow depths around 100-200 plus cm.

Weather Summary

Tonight: Flurries. Accumulation: 11 cm. Alpine temps: Low -19 °C. Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 35 km/h.

Saturday: Sunny with cloudy periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperature: High -17 °C. Ridge wind light to 20 km/h.

Sunday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Alpine temperature: Low -17 °C, High -10 °C. Possibly an alpine temperature inversion.

Link to weather forecast

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.