Lawinenlagebericht

Bitterroot

West Central Montana Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist last year abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Triggering a wet slab will be possible today. Despite the overnight re-freeze, the middle of the snowpack is still wet and weak. Wet slabs are possible anywhere you find wet or water-saturated snow in the snowpack, even below a surface crust. 

Wet slab avalanches can be unpredictable. To avoid the problem, stick to slopes less than 30 degrees in slope angle anywhere you find wet snow in the snowpack. Do not hang out under slopes that have not avalanched yet this spring. 

This is our last avalanche forecast of the season. We will publish a longer general product with spring travel advice tomorrow and update the product through April when conditions warrant. Thank you for your support and observations this season!

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

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

    The re-freeze the past 24 hours has reduced the chances of triggering a wet slab avalanche. There is still wet snow in the middle of the snowpack, below the surface crust.  It will take time for that deeper snow to stabilize. Until it does, there is still a chance of triggering a wet slab avalanche. These avalanches could be very large and destructive, as evidenced by these wet slab avalanches in the Swan Range earlier this week. 

    If you are still finding wet snow, even if it’s buried below a surface crust, large to very large wet slab avalanches are possible. Stick to low angle slopes and do not hang out underneath avalanche terrain. 

Avalanche Discussion

It’s starting to look like winter again at mid and upper elevations, with a trace of snow in the past few days and another inch expected today. The active pattern continues throughout the week, with 1-2 inches possible daily. 

This new snow will help keep skiing and riding conditions fresh. Small wind slabs will also be possible anywhere the new snow has blown into slabs 6 inches thick or more. Wind slabs can be identified by their smooth pillow-like appearance, by shooting cracks around your skis or snowmobile, or by a firm hollow, feeling slab of fresh snow. If you find any of these, you can stick to slopes less than 30 degrees in slope angle to avoid avalanches. 

Spring brings about natural cornice failure cycles and glide avalanches. Glide cracks have opened up on isolated slopes throughout the region. Glide avalanches are very difficult to forecast or understand due to their unpredictability. The time between a crack opening up and the avalanche failing can vary from minutes to months. Avoid traveling under overhanging cornices or open glide cracks.

Win a Garmin inReach Mini 2 – Support Your Avalanche Center with Every Observation!

We’re excited to offer a fantastic opportunity to win a Garmin inReach Mini 2 simply by sharing your field observations with us!

Every Public Observation you submit through Missoulaavalanche.org after March 8th, 2025 automatically enters you for a chance to win this excellent, compact satellite communicator.

The winner will be drawn on May 2nd, 2025, during Missoula Gives!

Each Public Observation counts as an entry, so the more you submit, the better your chances of winning! Your valuable observations are crucial in helping us provide accurate avalanche forecasts, ensuring everyone stays informed and prepared for safe, enjoyable backcountry adventures.

Thank you for your continued support of the West Central Montana Avalanche Center. Submit your observations for your chance to win and positively impact your forecast!

Ski and ride safe.

 

 

 

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