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We investigated the potential effects of rainfall intensity smoothing by forest canopies on slope stability by modelling soil responses to measured rainfall and throughfall during high‐intensity rain. Field measurements showed that maximum intensities of precipitation were generally reduced under forest canopies at two sites in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Modelling soil water pore‐pressure responses of a hypothetical hillslope to the field data resulted in estimates of slope stability that were generally greater under forest canopy than for the same hillslope without forest canopy. Results indicate that smoothing of precipitation intensities may translate into overall greater stability of hillslopes under forest canopies. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.