Boletín de aludes

Whitefish Range

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Sat
Alta montaña
1 · Débil
Límite del bosque
1 · Débil
Bajo el límite
1 · Débil
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 5 years ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

On steep slopes where more than 8 inches of recent and drifted snow has piled up over soft, low-density snow, you may still be able to trigger slab avalanches. Avoid terrain where cracks go shooting off ahead of you.

Conditions will deteriorate overnight, and the danger will rise into tomorrow as a powerful storm enters our area.

Problemas de aludes

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Unlikely
    Tamaño
    1–2

    On Wednesday, thin slabs of new and drifted snow broke at riders’ feet around Whitefish Mountain Resort. Those same slabs were stubborn to explosive on Thursday. I’d still think twice on steep slopes where more than 8 inches of recent snow is denser than what’s underneath. Cracks that shoot ahead of you through that kind of snow mean that you could still trigger slab avalanches. Getting caught and dragged through early-season obstacles is a crumby way to start the season. 

Avalanche Discussion

Riders triggered a few small avalanches during the last good burst of snow on Wednesday, and it’s been pretty quiet since. The cold air that moved in Wednesday night may have toughened slabs that were reactive during the day, making them more stubborn to riders and explosives by Thursday morning.

Moderate to strong winds continued to blow snow at upper elevations through Thursday. I was above Essex and was pretty glad I didn’t venture into exposed terrain above 7,000 feet. Snow showers and winds will pick up again through the afternoon, meaning that wind slabs could continue to grow in higher terrain.

We haven't got much of a snowpack across the region below 5,000 feet. There were only 8 inches of snow at that elevation in the Flathead Range on Thursday and less in the Swan and Whitefish Ranges. Above that elevation, a layered winter snowpack has been building. Tough crusts surround layers of weak sugary snow above the ground. Lower density snow that has fallen since December 4th covers that. A weak layer of preserved dendrites in the upper snowpack has been the cause of recent storm slab activity. A hard ice crust caps it in the Swan, but not in the Whitefish and Flathead. That layer and the deeper facet/crust combos are layers to keep in mind as an atmospheric river brings a heavy load of new snow and powerful winds starting late Friday night.

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