Welcome to Episode 6 of the 2025/2026 Avalanche Conditions Report, brought to you by Whitewater Mountain Resort, Backcountry Skiing Canada, & State Of The Snowpack.

Avalanche Canada Danger Rating:
Alpine: Considerable
Treeline: Considerable
Below Treeline: Considerable

Snowpack:
Over the past two weeks, skier and rider triggered avalanches have been failing on a Persistent Weak Layer from January 28, consisting of surface hoar facets sitting on a melt freeze crust.
This layer had previously been relatively quiet, but increased loading and slab density have made it much more reactive.
Avalanches failing on this layer have ranged from size 1 to 3, with remote triggers reported in the Whitewater backcountry.
Recent new snow and wind have created additional storm and wind slab problems. If triggered, these slabs may step down to deeper instabilities in the snowpack, producing larger avalanches.
  Forecast:
Incoming weather is expected to bring 15 to 20 cm of new snow, accompanied by moderate to strong southwest winds.
This will continue to build slab problems and increase the load on the underlying persistent weak layers.

We'll be back with Episode 7, and be sure to always check Avalanche Canada before heading into the backcountry!