Banff, AB

Alberta Canada

Forecast Point 4,554 ft • 51.1778, -115.5683

Avalanche Forecast

Avalanche Forecasts are for use by experienced backcountry travelers in uncontrolled sidecountry and backcountry terrain. These forecasts and conditions do not apply to open, in-bounds terrain at ski resorts, which is subject to avalanche control by local resort ski patrol.

Avalanche Rating

Moderate (2)

Valid Sat Dec 14 5:00pm MST 4 hours ago Until Sun Dec 15 5:00pm MST

Areas east of the divide have a weaker, thinner, more facetted snowpack, while areas along the divide and further west have a slightly thicker snowpack that is more supportive and a little more confidence inspiring.

At lower elevations in all areas the snowpack is still thin with difficult travel and early season hazards present.

More Detail

To get the complete forecast with additional graphics and details, please view the Parks Canada Zone forecast provided by Parks Canada.

Snowpack Discussion

Trace amounts of precip Saturday overlies windslabs in wind-prone alpine areas and in sheltered locations, 10-40 cm of soft snow that sits on a layer of facets, suncrust. Below this it is facetted and weak in eastern areas; and deeper and denser in western areas. Two crust/facet layers exist at the bottom of the snowpack (Nov. 9th and Oct. 20th interfaces). Total snowpack depths at treeline are about 60 cm in eastern areas with up to 100 cm in thicker western areas

Avalanche Activity

No new avalanches observed or reported on Friday or Saturday.

Earlier in the week, ski hills have triggered isolated wind slabs and a number of deep persistent avalanches with explosives, but there has been an improving trend.