East Cabinet Mountains

Avalanche forecasting has ended for the 2025-26 season. We would like to thank the many people who make the avalanche center what it is - Friends of the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, the Lolo National Forest, local businesses and sponsors, the guides and ski patrol workers, and the backcountry skiers and riders. It’s truly a remarkable effort. Thank you for all your help, donations, observations, and enthusiasm. See you next fall.

Avalanches are possible in the mountains of Idaho and Montana whenever you find snow on a steep slope. You should consider the consequences of being caught in an avalanche before crossing any steep, snow-covered slope. Match your terrain choices to the conditions. Place recent avalanches as the highest priority evidence of instability - in addition shooting cracks, rollerballs, heavy snowfall/ drifting, and rapid or prolonged warming.

Common avalanche problems you might encounter during the spring and summer:

Wet Slab and Loose Wet Avalanches: The most common wet avalanches are loose wet, sluff, or point-release avalanches. These are most dangerous if they push you off a cliff or into rocks, trees, or a gully. Travel when the snow surface is colder and stronger, and avoid crossing on or under very steep slopes in the afternoon. Move to colder, shadier slopes once the snow surface turns slushy.

Wet Slab avalanches are more dangerous. These often occur when liquid meltwater weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). Pay attention to overnight low temperatures at high-elevation weather stations, but remember that air temperature, cloud cover, and wind all affect how the snow freezes each night. Snow conditions that produce Wet Slab avalanches last longest on high-elevation, northerly slopes as we move into summer. Regardless of what wet avalanche you are worried about, stay off and below steep snow-covered slopes if you start to sink into wet snow more than about 6 inches.

Cornice Fall: Throughout the winter, the wind builds large overhanging snow features along ridgelines. These cornices can break off at any time of year, but rapid or prolonged warming during the spring are times to be particularly aware of. Cornices can fall without warning and shed the snow from steeper slopes below them creating a large pile of snow. Give these large beasts an extra wide buffer when traveling above them, and limit your exposure below them. If your route goes under one, use a similar approach as Wet Slab avalanches - look for a good overnight freeze, and try to get past them early in the day. Remember that the sun may hit them earlier than it hits the slopes below them.

Storm Slabs, Wind Slabs, and Loose Dry Avalanches: Avalanches frequently occur during and immediately after a snowstorm. While the chance of winter-like storms usually wanes in the summer, they can occur at any time of the year in the mountains. Every time new snow falls and the wind drifts the snow through the terrain, new avalanche issues can form. It is easier to trigger avalanches when new snow falls on firm, icy surfaces. Even a small, isolated avalanche can be dangerous if it pushes you off a cliff, or into natural obstacles or a gully. Once the sunshine hits slopes with fresh snow, the new snow may naturally shed, increasing the danger quickly.

The best way to manage potential avalanche conditions in the summer is to have a current weather forecast, recognize when there is enough new snow to produce storm avalanches, and select terrain that minimizes your exposure to the risk. Always respect the mountains.

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GENERAL SPRING TRAVEL ADVICE

• Timing is everything in the spring. Start early and end early, and recognize that Storm Snow and Wind Slab avalanche hazards are more reactive during and immediately after a storm.
• Go into the day with a solid plan and backup strategy. Flexibility is key as weather and snowpack conditions can change quickly.
• Keep objectives realistic, be willing to adjust your route or final objective if things don’t line up, and respect the mountains.
• Proper backcountry protocol is still prudent to not only your group, but others recreating around you. Always carry avalanche rescue gear - beacon, shovel, and probe.
• Give cornices a wide berth along ridgelines and don’t linger below them. Avoid recreating below large open glide cracks, as the exact timing of their release is notoriously unpredictable.

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OBSERVATIONS

Although we're done issuing regular avalanche forecasts, we still plan to get out in the mountains and post observations. We encourage you to do the same.  Please share with us what you’re seeing out there, especially if you see or trigger any avalanches. We try to collect as much information about spring avalanche activity as possible - specifically, large Wet Slab avalanches. You can CLICK HERE to submit an observation and share information with your avalanche community.

RECENT OBSERVATIONS

May 14, 2026 - Roman Nose, Selkirk Mountains

April 29, 2026 - Beehive Lake, Selkirk Mountains

April 20, 2026 - Leigh Lake, East Cabinet Mountains

April 17, 2026 - Clifty Mountain, West Cabinet Mountains

April 17, 2026 - Stevens Peak, Silver Valley & Bitterroot Mountains

April 16, 2026 - Cooks Pass, Selkirk Mountains

April 10, 2026 - Lunch Peak, West Cabinet Mountains

April 9, 2026 - Roman Nose, Selkirk Mountains

April 9, 2026 - West Willow, Silver Valley & Bitterroot Mountains