Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 23rd, 2026–Feb 24th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

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.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Dogtooth, East Purcell.

Carefully assess conditions and look for signs of instability.

We feel confident in the likelihood of wind slabs but uncertain in the likelihood of persistent slabs.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday, a few small slabs were triggered by skiers. These slabs failed on the early February surface hoar layer. These types of avalanches may get larger as the slab above stiffens.

Over the past 3 days numerous dry loose avalanches were observed in steep terrain. These avalanches were triggered naturally and by skiers.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 20 cm of fresh snow accompanied by strong southwest wind has formed deeper deposits on north and east aspects. In sheltered terrain it will overlie a variety of surfaces including surface hoar, facets, and a sun crust.

There are 2 prominent weak layers in the upper snowpack

A surface hoar/crust layer buried early to mid-February is down 15 to 30 cm.
A facet/crust layer buried at the end of January is down roughly 20 to 40 cm.

Below this, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled with several crust layers.

Weather Summary

Monday Night
Partly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 2 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 4 cm of snow. 70 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind-loaded snow.
Recent strong wind means wind slabs may be found farther downslope than expected.
Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
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.