Avalanche forecast

South Rockies

Jan 5 – 6, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Wind slabs remain the primary concern with fresh, loose snow available and continued strong winds at higher elevations.

Weak layers deep in the snowpack persist in shallow areas.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Westerly winds continue to redistribute loose snow at higher elevations.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    A crust with facets deep in the snowpack remains a concern, particularly in areas with a thinner snowpack. While the probability of triggering this layer is low, the consequences could be severe.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Avalanche Summary

Recently, small wind slab avalanches have been observed in very steep, extreme northeast-facing alpine terrain.

Otherwise, no new avalanches have been reported, but observations are extremely limited in the region.

Snowpack Summary

Expect to find wind-affected surfaces in exposed terrain at higher elevations, while a dusting of new snow will bury a variety of old snow surfaces, including surface hoar in terrain sheltered from wind.

Approximately 40 to 80 cm of recent snow continues to settle above a melt-freeze crust that is thin or absent in alpine terrain, while thicker and widespread at treeline and below.

Near the bottom of the snowpack, a series of crusts exists with associated faceted snow.

Check out the AvCan field teams MIN report for a more detailed description of conditions in the Nordstrom area.

Weather Summary

Sunday night

Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Monday

Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy. Up to 5 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level 700 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level 600 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been affected by wind.
  • Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.

Regions covered