The Glance
Friday, April 17, 2026Avalanche
Moderate. Wind slab all aspects ALP+TL (Possible, Size 1-2). Wet Loose SE/E/S/SW/W ALP+TL+BTL (Likely, Size 1-2). Cornice NW/N/NE/SE/E ALP+TL (Unlikely, Size 1.5-2.5). (ALP+TL: Moderate / BTL: Low)
Travel Advice
- Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
- Recent strong wind means wind slabs may be found farther downslope than expected.
- Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.
We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.
20 to 60 cm of snow has fallen in the last three days. This new snow sits on moist snow below treeline or a hard melt-freeze crust in the alpine. Some areas may have weak facets on this crust; information is limited at this time of year, so investigate in your area. A thick crust from mid-March is 30-60 cm deep, which extends up to about 2400 m. Near Invermere, a weak layer of facets may be found above this crust.Facets are found near the bottom of the snowpack in shallow alpine snowpack areas. The lower snowpack is strong in deep snowpack areas.The snowpack continues to melt at lower elevations.
On Thursday, west of Invermere, several small storm slabs failed naturally during the storm.On Wednesday, there were a few natural and rider-controlled wind slabs and two that were remotely triggered by a helicopter. They were all small avalanches (size 1-1.5).Looking towards Friday, riders could trigger newly formed wind slabs at higher elevations.Please consider submitting a MIN to let us know what you're seeing out there.
Snow
11cm new snow (Little Dragon Snow 2250m)
| Source | Elev | 24h | 48h | 72h | Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Dragon Snow | 2250m | 11 | 40 | 42 | 153 |
| Simpson Lower | 2115m | 1 | 24 | 34 | 242.9 |
| Stanley | 1930m | 2 | 24 | 35 | 125.7 |
| Toby Creek | 1180m | — | 26 | 26 | 5 |
Sources disagree on snowfall — check detail
Measured: 4/17/2026, 6:00:00 AM
Source: AvCan Weather Stations
Weather
| Station | Elev | Temp | Wind | 24h Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Dragon | 2380m | -10.3°C | W 3 km/h | — |
| Simpson Upper | 2320m | -9.9°C | N 4 km/h | — |
| Little Dragon Snow | 2250m | -8.5°C | — | 11 |
| Simpson Lower | 2115m | -10°C | — | 1 |
| Stanley | 1930m | -7.9°C | — | 2 |
| Toby Creek | 1180m | -3°C | — | — |
Roads
Hwy 93 (Kootenay-Banff): Open | Hwy 95 (Columbia Valley): Open
Webcams
| Station | Elev | Temp | Wind | Snow 24h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Dragon | 2380m | -10.3°C | W 3km/h | — |
| Simpson Upper | 2320m | -9.9°C | N 4km/h | — |
| Little Dragon Snow | 2250m | -8.5°C | — | 11cm |
| Simpson Lower | 2115m | -10°C | — | 1cm |
| Stanley | 1930m | -7.9°C | — | 2cm |
| Toby Creek | 1180m | -3°C | — | — |
