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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 26th, 2026–Mar 27th, 2026

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

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains, Chic-Chocs.

Wind-driven snow will form wind slabs resting on a crust, creating an excellent sliding surface.

Avoid heavily wind-loaded alpine slopes to allow time for these accumulations to stabilise, and opt for safer routes.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about forecast precipitation amounts.
  • We are uncertain due to the variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

A natural slab avalanche of size 1.5 to 2 was observed in real time by the field team in the Benny couloir, on a south-east-facing slope of the Mur des Patrouilleurs on Mont Albert. Heavy wind-driven snow accumulation had overloaded a lateral loading zone in the couloir, causing the slab to break away, which then slid down over the refrozen crust.

A slab avalanche was deliberately triggered on the Patrouilleurs wall at Mont Albert and reported to the MIN. It occurred on a south-east-facing slope subject to lateral loading. The crown thickness was 25 cm, and the length of the avalanche is estimated at 200 m.

If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

The fresh snow will add to the 10–15 cm of snow already on the mountains, which covers a widespread crust. This crust is very hard in the alpine areas and is sometimes unable to support the weight of a skier below the tree line. Below the crust, the snowpack is well consolidated.

At mid-mountain, the average depth of the snowpack is around 140 cm.

Weather Summary

WEATHER FOR THE CHIC-CHOCS RIDGES AND PEAKS

Additional snowfall, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures by Saturday.

Thursday evening and overnight: Snow, 4 to 7 cm. Winds turning north-westerly, 30 to 50 km/h. Low -12°C.

Friday: Intermittent snow. North-westerly wind 30–50 km/h. Dropping temperatures, high -17°C.

Saturday: A mix of sun and clouds. North-westerly wind 15–25 km/h. High -16°C.

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds. Chance of snow showers in the afternoon. South-westerly wind of 20 to 40 km/h. High -7°C.


For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
  • Keep in mind a buried crust offers an excellent bed surface for avalanches.
  • Be careful with sluffing in steep terrain, especially above cliffs and terrain traps.

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.