Avalanche forecast

Kitimat

Mar 26 – 27, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Uncertainty surrounding buried weak layers necessitates conservative terrain choices.

Very large human-triggered avalanches are possible.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2.5

    Fresh, reactive wind slabs may form into Friday with new snow and wind. Recent winds have varied in direction, so be cautious of wind-loaded pockets on all aspects.

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    Cornices are large, looming, and may trigger large persistent slabs on slopes below.

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    A weak layer in the mid-snowpack was triggered remotely last Sunday. It failed below multiple crusts. Signs of instability will not be evident, and the only defence is choosing smaller, low-consequence terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.
  • We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

A fatal avalanche accident occurred north of Terrace on March 22. Available details can be found here.

Over the last week, a few natural and several skier-triggered wind slabs up to size 2 have occurred. A natural cornice failure pulled a size 3 persistent slab on a NW aspect in the alpine.

Observations in this region are limited, and there's uncertainty about buried weak layers in the upper/mid snowpack. Submit to the MIN and keep your terrain choices conservative.

Snowpack Summary

Cornices are large and looming. Avoid travelling underneath them.

New flurries and wind will add to 20 to 50 cm of recent wind-affected snow. which has been redistributed by northeast shifting to south winds, creating wind slabs on a variety of aspects. Below the recent snow is either a crust or a wind-scoured hard snow surface.

There are multiple persistent weak layers consisting of crust/facets or surface hoar in the top 250 cm of the snowpack. These layers present a low-probability, high-consequence problem.

The lower snowpack is generally well settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Saturday

Mix of sun and clouds. 4 to 5 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. 1 cm of snow. 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Use conservative route selection and resist venturing into complex terrain.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.

Regions covered