Lawinenlagebericht

Selkirk Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

The snowpack from the big storm last week is healing and gaining strength, however more snow is falling now and is expected to continue into Wednesday. 10-18 inches of snow is forcasted for the Selkirk and Cabinets, which is plenty of new snow to cause consiquential avalanches. Evaluate snow carefully and look for signs of instability. Human triggered avalanches are a possibility in avalanche terrain. Use extra caution on open slopes over 30 degrees.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Overnight, another storm has swept in, poised to deliver a swift 5-15+ inches of snow by Wednesday morning. The accumulation will vary based on location and elevation. Currently, it looks like the Cabinet Mountains are favored over the Selkirks in terms of snowfall. While overall snow conditions are expected to be favorable, caution is advised due to the potential for touchy new storm slabs. Take a careful approach to your travel plans.

    The storm is depositing snow on a range of surface conditions. In areas where wind slabs were present yesterday, the new snow may exhibit a higher susceptibility to avalanching. Be on the look for signs of instability in the fresh snow, such as cracking, whomping, or other avalanche indicators. The temperature profile suggests increased snow transport above 5000 ft, making it advisable to avoid ridges and open slopes for the day. Seek sheltered trees for the most favorable snow conditions

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    2–3

    The storm from last week has left us with several persistent issues in the snowpack that require monitoring. The primary concern is a crust layer situated 30-40 cm below the surface. Tests and observations carried out yesterday indicate that this layer is generally resistant to failure, though isolated areas may exhibit increased reactivity, potentially becoming more susceptible in the coming days. It is advisable to actively look for and test this layer if you are traveling in avalanche terrain today.

    Triggering instabilities in the wind slabs has proven challenging as well. Yesterday's assessments revealed no cracking or breaking in the wind slabs. Given the recent heavy snowfall and new snow, exercising caution is recommended when traveling near and around wind-loaded slopes. It is particularly crucial to avoid wind-loaded slopes directly beneath rock outcroppings or slopes with significant consequences. 

    Photo: Jeff Thompson

Avalanche Discussion

The snowpack has changed a lot in the last 2 weeks. Total snowpack heights in the middle and upper mountain elevations are now around 5 - 8 feet deep. From February 25th to March 5th the Selkirk/Cabinet zone received between 7.2 and 10.4 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) and strong South winds. This storm snow is currently consolidating to about 3 - 4.5 feet storm snow.  Yesterday we found 350 cm's of snow at 5600 feet!

Current surface snow is mainly dry low density snow but there is also variability depending on your elevation or aspect. Wind affect, sun crusts, and surface hoar are all present surfaces that may be potential future problem layers once buried. More snow fell last night and is forecated to continue into Wednesday so be sure to keep a eye of surface conditions. Today would be a good day to dig down a little bit and do a quick test on the snowpack.

The large amounts of recent storm snow is gaining strength and stability is increasing. Yet, some uncertainty exists on current snowpack stability. Variability exists within storm snow layers of grapel,  melt freeze layers, and previous wind affect.  Additionally, low density snowfall and moderate southerly winds earlier this week from Monday are added on top. Large avalanches are still possible in isolated areas.

Thank you WESTSIDE MOTORSPORTS and SKI DOO for your support!

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