Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 19th, 2026–Mar 20th, 2026

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

Regions

North Columbia, South Columbia, Clemina, Esplanade, Jordan, North Monashee, North Selkirk, Dogtooth, West Purcell, Badshot-Battle, Central Selkirk, Goat, Gold, Whatshan.

Avoid avalanche terrain.

Warm, stormy weather continues, and natural avalanches remain likely.

Avalanches could be very large and may run full path.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about forecast snowfall amounts.
  • We are uncertain about how persistent slabs will react to the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

On Monday a natural storm slab avalanche cycle began, and it has continued into Thursday. Avalanches occurred on all aspects and elevations, and were a mix of slab and loose, wet and dry. Most of the avalanches that were reported were size 2.5 but avalanches up to size 4 have been reported.

Looking forward to Tuesday, we expect that this natural avalanche cycle will continue due to warm temperatures, and moderate to heavy precipitation.

Snowpack Summary

Recent snowfall amounts throughout the region have been variable; 40 to 70 cm of settling storm snow has been redistributed into deep deposits on north and east aspects on the highest peaks. Ongoing rain has saturated the upper snowpack at and below treeline. Moist surface snow continues up to mountain tops in most places.

A thick crust buried earlier in March can be found down 70 to 120 cm at treeline and below.

Three concerning weak layers of surface hoar, facets and/or crust that formed in January and February are found down 100 to 250 cm deep.

The lower snowpack is well settled and bonded.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night
Cloudy. 10 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline, with possible hotspots of up to 30 mm. 30-60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Average freezing level 2100 m, as high as 2800 m in the south end of the forecast area.

Friday
Cloudy. 10 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline with possible hotspots of 30 mm or more. 45-70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Average freezing level 2200 m, as high as 2800 m in the south end of the forecast area.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain; avalanches may run surprisingly far.
  • Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • Avoid travelling on slopes below cornices.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.