Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 14th, 2026–Apr 15th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Spring Conditions

Below Treeline

Spring Conditions

Regions

Banff Yoho Kootenay, Little Yoho, Banff, East Side 93N, Kootenay, Lake Louise, LLSA, Sunshine, West Side 93N, Field.

Winter returns to the high mountains for a few days. There was powder skiing near Bow Summit on Tuesday, and more snow forecast overnight should make for good conditions on Wednesday. Then the weather pattern shifts: clearing in the west, while the east gets hammered with an upslope storm on Thursday. Classic spring in Alberta.

Confidence

Moderate

We are uncertain about forecast precipitation amounts.

Avalanche Summary

Professional operations are reporting only cornice failures, some with explosives, and none are very big. But cornices can be fragile this time of year.

Snowpack Summary

5 cm of new snow in the past 24 hours overlies sun and temperature crusts on all aspects up to 2300 m. Increasing winds on Tuesday will create some pockets of windslab, but there is not much loose snow to be blown around; thus, slab formation should be minimal. North aspects hold dry, settled snow above 2300 m.

Weather Summary

A low-pressure system/cold front crosses our region overnight Tuesday, then exits on Wednesday, leaving behind another 10-15 cm of snow in its wake. Freezing levels may reach the valley bottom.

Following this, the storm pattern will shift with better weather to the west and a significant storm arriving on the eastern side of the mountains. Expect a dump of new snow in the foothills of the Rockies on Thursday.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Cornices often break further back than expected; give them a wide berth when traveling on ridgetops.

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.