Lawinenlagebericht

Selkirk Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

Weak overnight freezes and warm daytime temperatures keep wet snow hazards on the menu at mid and upper elevations. Until temperatures stay below freezing for an extended period of time, moist weak snow below a wet, heavy slab remains vulnerable to failure from the added weight of a rider or machine. Wet snow hazards do not provide the classic early-warning signs of instability, so limit exposure to steep slopes and avalanche run-out areas - especially if you sink past boot tops into wet, rotten snow.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–2

    Water pooling and percolating through the snowpack will continue to weaken individual snow grain bonds within prior faceted snow layers. While we have likely eclipsed the peak window of sensitivity, we should not write-off wet snow hazards until the water faucet gets turned off from prolonged below freezing temperatures. If you encounter a refrozen snow surface, this may help the snowpack remain intact, or it may provide a false sense of security until you find the weak, punchy area and impact wet, softer layers below. Frequently gauge how deep you sink and avoid traveling too close to steeper terrain or lingering in depressions or gullies where an unexpected pile of wet snow traveling downhill can pile up quickly.

    (12/11/2025)

    A snowpit from above tree line, showing that all elevations have a fully saturated snowpack. With the amount of meltwater and rain, we will need a prolonged period of freezing temperatures to lock the snowpack up.

    December 11, 2025. 

    Photo: Izzy Davis

Avalanche Discussion

Downpour rains from two separate Atmospheric River (AR) events last week decimated the snowpack at lower elevations, unleashed a tongue of water toward dry, faceted snow layers at mid and upper elevations, and provoked a natural cycle of large to very large avalanches across the majority of our forecast zones. While this puts a damper on things now, no pun intended, we may walk away from this better off than we might think. Only time will tell if that’s the case. For now, wet snow hazard decision-making should be on the forefront of our minds.

Don’t let the presence of a surface crust fool you into thinking the snowpack has fully refrozen. Water pooling in the snowpack helps the snowpack retain heat and prevents cooler air temperatures from penetrating deeper in the snowpack and “locking things up”. Strength of water bonds is less than that of ice bonds and as long as liquid water is present or has been present in weaker, prior faceted snow layers, failure concerns will linger.

To avoid an unexpected encounter with a wet snow avalanche, you can implement a few travel and terrain management factors to help reduce your avalanche risk: 1) Avoid steep slopes where you sink around 6 inches deep into wet, unconsolidated snow. 2) Don’t travel through or linger in terrain traps without visibility of steeper terrain above you. 3) Give an extra wide buffer traveling on or below slopes with Glide cracks, or avoid those areas altogether.

Glide cracks and avalanches aren’t something we typically have on our radar near the winter solstice, but full snowpack cracks have started to emerge across our forecast area. More may appear as above normal temperatures continue and rain returns Monday and Tuesday. Glide cracks can give way to destructive avalanches at any moment and without warning - by far the least understood and most unpredictable avalanche hazard in the mountains.

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