Lawinenlagebericht

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Enjoy today's generally stable conditions before Monday's warm, wet weather and increasing avalanche danger. There remains a chance that you could trigger thin slabs of wind-drifted snow at upper elevations. Choose wind-sheltered terrain to enjoy high-quality snow before the arrival of the Atmospheric River.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Southwest winds have been slowly increasing since Wednesday, but we have not received reports of significant snow transport. You may find thin slabs on leeward aspects below favored windy locations. They can be identified by dense snow, which you or your machine barely sink into. You can test how well they bond to the underlying layer with hand pits or test slopes. In some locations, slabs are resting on a hard surface which may slow bonding to the underlying layer. The small size of these slabs should make them easy to steer around in favor of the great dry, low-density snow found in areas unaffected by the wind.

    (2/23/2022)

    Hollow, hard, lense-shaped wind slabs in the northern Whitefish range

    Photo: Guy Zoellner

Avalanche Discussion

Today appears to be the last day of LOW danger for the remainder of the workweek. A series of wet and warm storms enter the area Monday with rising freezing levels and copious moisture. Neighboring mountain ranges such as the Cabinet may pick up two inches or more water. We anticipate increasing avalanche danger with dangerous conditions developing. New snow will fall onto various surfaces, including low-density snow on sheltered northerly aspects, a thin sun crust capping low-density snow on southerlies, firm wind-packed surfaces, and onto a new crop of surface hoar in other locations. Due to the underlying crust in most areas, slides may run long distances. 

Friday, we dropped the avalanche danger to LOW. Still, we bumped it back to MODERATE Saturday in anticipation of warming and solar radiation affecting the cold, dry surface snow for the first time. Saturday's observations noted a long-running wet loose slide originating at 7000 feet on Grant Ridge. Clancy also was in the Middle Fork, where he saw moist snow on southerly slopes at all elevations along with rollerballs and a dozen or so small wet loose slides. He also had the pleasure of enjoying up to 12 inches of great powder. Another group enjoyed great powder but also observed fresh wet loose avalanche activity. Recreationalists and The Patrol Fund Level 2 class in the southern Whitefish Range enjoyed good riding conditions and noted a new crop of surface hoar.

We removed the Wet Loose avalanche problem from today's list due to increasing clouds which will limit surface warming. We have dropped the danger to LOW with isolated small wind slabs as our primary concern. Please check back through the week to keep abreast of the changing conditions expected from the upcoming Atmospheric River event.

Topics Class: Big Avalanches in Changing Climate in Northwest Montana. Wednesday, March 2 | 6:30 to 7:30 PM | Virtual Class. Please visit this site for more information and to register.

Motorized Level 1- Avalanche Fundamentals. March 4-6. Please visit this site for more information and to register.

Motorized Introduction to Avalanches. March 17 and 19. Please visit this site for more information and to register.

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