Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 4th, 2026–Jan 5th, 2026

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.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Rockies, Bull, Crowsnest North, Elkford East, Elkford West.

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.

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.

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.