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

Feb 27th, 2026–Feb 28th, 2026

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Lizard-Flathead, South Rockies, Akamina, Bull, Crowsnest North, Crowsnest South, Elkford East, Elkford West.

It's a challenging snowpack.

Strong winds have left slabs in open features, while persistent slab avalanches are most likely in sheltered areas at treeline and below.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Persistent slabs could become more likely with the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, our field team found a reactive persistent slab problem near Sparwood.

Observations are currently very limited in this region. Please consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 25 cm of recent snow and variable strong winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects and elevations, including into open areas below treeline.

A layer of surface hoar down 30 to 60 cm may become increasingly reactive to human triggers. Persistent slab avalanches are most likely in sheltered areas at treeline and below, where the surface hoar is well preserved.

The mid and lower snowpack are well settled in some areas. In others, large facets (depth hoar) are present at the bottom of the snowpack.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Saturday

Mostly sunny. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Sunday

Sunny. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday

Sunny. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
  • Keep your guard up at all elevations. Wind slab formation has been extensive and could extend into openings below treeline.
  • Be aware of the potential for remote triggering and large avalanches due to buried surface hoar.
  • In times of uncertainty, conservative terrain choices are our best defense.

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.

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.