Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Mar 7 – 8, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

New snow, wind and warming temperatures are maintaining dangerous avalanche conditions.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3.5

    Further snowfall and wind continue to add stress to buried weak layers. Facets, surface hoar, and crusts in the snowpack may become more reactive and have the potential to produce very large, destructive avalanches. Read more here

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–3

    Ongoing snowfall and strong winds continue to produce widespread storm slabs. Expect larger and more reactive slabs in wind-loaded terrain on all aspects.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Wet loose avalanches may be triggered where precipitation falls as rain.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to how buried persistent weak layers will react with the forecast weather.
  • We are uncertain due to the variability of wind effect on the snowpack.
  • We are uncertain about how the timing or intensity of warming will affect the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

A widespread natural and explosive-triggered avalanche cycle continues, producing very large avalanches up to size 3.5. Most reported activity occurred on north through east aspects at treeline and alpine elevations. Avalanches ran within the recent storm snow and on buried weak layers.

Natural avalanche activity remains likely as additional snowfall and strong winds continue to add load and stress to the snowpack.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 100 cm of snow has fallen since the end of February. Recent north winds switched to a southerly direction. This has redistributed the snow into slabs on most aspects in the alpine and treeline elevations.

Since early February, new snow has buried (and continues to load) a variety of old surfaces, including surface hoar, facets, and crusts. This weak layer is most likely in wind-sheltered terrain and is buried roughly 90 to 180 cm deep.

Below this layer, the remaining snowpack is generally well settled and well bonded.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy. 4 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Saturday

Cloudy. 10 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday

Mix of sun and clouds. 5 to 15 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.



More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
  • Avalanches could start at higher elevations and travel into below treeline terrain.
  • Remote triggering is a concern; avoid terrain where triggering overhead slopes is possible.
  • Loose avalanches may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger avalanches.

Regions covered