Lawinenlagebericht

Swan Range

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 5 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Naughty and nice. Several inches of new snow will improve the riding while adding fuel to the wind slab fire. Thin new slabs will develop on top of the stack of old ones formed over the past few days. These will be more dangerous in large openings above the treeline.  Give your loved ones the gift of your safe return by steering around stiff, dense snow.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    It seems as though Santa can't quite make up his mind about our area this Christmas. We woke up to oranges - several inches of new or forecasted snow but also found coal - continued wind speeds capable of transporting snow. Expect to find another layer of new and developing wind slabs today. Look for blowing snow as you gain elevation, with the largest slabs forming in the upper elevations. On slopes where slabs are sitting on softer snow, you may notice a hollow feel to the snow. During periods of blowing snow, areas sheltered from the wind generally offer a safer and more enjoyable experience.

    (12/24/2021)

    Recent natural cornice fall near Mt Aeneas.

    Photo: Dundas

Avalanche Discussion

New snow amounts fell below forecasted totals overnight. Favored locations include Tunnel Ridge in the Middle Fork corridor, with 8 inches of new snow, and Flattop Mountain in central Glacier Park, with nearly an inch of water.  WMR picked up several inches while the northern Whitefish and the Swan Range received a measly inch or two. Several additional inches of snow is forecast for today at most locations, along with the continued wind.

In the Whitefish and Swan Ranges, we are keeping wind slab as our main avalanche problem as westerly winds continue to transport snow onto easterly aspects. In the majority of the Flathead Range, we are expecting continued wind slab formation on typical leeward aspects, albeit a little thicker and more widespread due to both more new snow and alpine terrain exposed to the wind. It is a different story for interior Glacier Park, southern Glacier Park, and the eastern Flathead Range (Skyland area). Arctic air arrived at Marias Pass early Friday morning and has slowly made its way west of Essex. This has resulted in bitterly cold air temperatures and moderate easterly winds. These atypical winds transport soft surface snow onto westerly aspects and form fresh slabs. If you head towards the Divide, keep your plan simple and short. Dealing with a simple gear issue in these conditions can turn into an ordeal with serious consequences.

Check out the conditions blog for our weekly summary. Each Friday throughout the season we will post a text and video summarizing the week's snow, weather, and avalanche conditions.

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