- Date
- vendredi 28 novembre 2025
- Étiqueté sous
Daily public avalanche forecasts started this week 🎉. In many of our forecasting areas, terrain at treeline and below is looking pretty rugged with not much snow coverage right now. The exception to this is the northwest coast of BC and the Yukon, which have had more consistent snow down to valley bottom so far.
In southern BC and Alberta, the snowpack at treeline and below is quite thin, meaning there are plenty of prominent early season hazards and access to riding areas can be quite difficult.
Low elevations still have little to no snow on the ground making access difficult in many areas. Credit: MIN User lfbraun10.
At lower elevations where the avalanche danger is Low, the main concern is what’s under, or barely under, the snow. Here are some of the hazards we’re thinking about:
- Rocks, stumps, and bushes (think about your knees, A-arms, and other ground contacting gear).
- Creeks. Many are still wide open and any bridges that have formed over them are probably still very weak.
- Challenging (think luge track) exits. Combined with short days, it’s a good idea to start your egress early.
Big rocks are still showing in Crowsnest Pass, but think about what’s buried that you can’t see. Credit: MIN user jimm5.
However, it’s a different story in the alpine. In the alpine, avalanche season is in full swing with some near misses and some natural avalanches reported on the Mountain Information Network, so make the mental switch in terrain management once you’re up there.
A remotely triggered wind slab avalanche was reported on Monday near Pemberton. Credit: MIN user reimers.er.
If we were heading into the backcountry, we’d try to get up into the alpine and then stay there for most of our time out, since this is where the good riding is. Remember to be cautious about crevasses. Thin snow cover can hide them, and weak snow bridges may not be strong enough to support a person's weight.
In elevation bands with Moderate or higher avalanche danger, the above concerns likely still exist, but if there is enough snow for fun sliding or sledding, there is enough snow to avalanche. Across our forecast areas, the avalanche problem we’re seeing is wind slabs in exposed alpine terrain. In some regions those wind slabs might be sitting on a layer of weak snow.
The NW coastal regions generally have the deepest snowpack at the moment, and with a deep snowpack comes large avalanches like this example which was observed recently near Terrace. Credit: MIN User travisluvsbikes.
It’s important that you’ve read the avalanche forecast for where you are planning to go, and know what you are likely to find when you get up there. It’s also important to continuously assess conditions as you gain elevation. Snowpack depth (and avalanche hazard) can increase quickly as you reach treeline and beyond.
Also, remember that even a small unexpected sluff can knock you off your feet or sled, and push you somewhere that you weren’t planning to be. With a shallow snowpack like this, we aren’t just worried about being pushed over a cliff, but also falling into a stump or rock that is barely buried.
Winter conditions exist in the alpine and you may already find large cornices like this example from the South Coast. Credit: MIN User iandhilgendorff.
White Pass is off to a good start with over 1 m of snow observed on the ground recently with no major weak layers of concern. Credit: MIN User meklaben.