Avalanche forecast

Selkirk Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Winds have been loading above treeline slopes from multiple directions, so pay attention to signs of wind loading, before deciding your route in avalanche terrain. It’s best to avoid fresh slabs of wind drifted snow in steep terrain, especially near terrain features such as gullies or rock out cropping’s. Warm temperatures at lower elevations could warm up southerly facing slopes, increasing the avalanche danger throughout the day. Keep track of the sun effect, if it comes out today.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    You can avoid uncertainty associated with wind-slab avalanches by managing your slope angle. Stay away from obvious pillows, drifts and slopes with overhanging cornices. Look and feel the snow under foot for wind features, thick wind-slabs. Good visibility yesterday made it easy to see these wind effected areas from a long ways away. You could even use your probe or ski pole to feel for thick wind slabs. The wind-slab problem should be easy to investigate, since it's primarily in the top 2 feet of the snowpack. Shooting cracks, isolated cracking and ripples across the snow are  good indicators of wind effected snow. Yesterday, we found the best snowmobiling and skiing in the trees around the 4000 ft band.

    (2/9/2023)

    Above Quartz Creek, Cabinet Mountains

    5,500 ft, NW face

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–2

    Within the upper 3 feet of the snowpack we have multiple persistent weak layers (PWL) present. We are seeing facet growth above and below these layers that likely developed during our last arctic cold front (January 28th through the 31st). The sensitivity of these weak layers varies widely with aspect and elevation, but overall  the PWL's are sitting dormant. Stability tests performed yesterday provided minimal results. Current temperature gradients in the snowpack will continue to trend towards a stronger state, but it will take time to fully heal. Triggering an avalanche on these weak layers is a "low likelihood-high consequence" scenario, your potential to trigger one of these weak layers will be highest in steep and open terrain with convex roll-overs. The 2 strongest crusts within the snowpack (1/13 Friday crust and Christmas crust) are adding stability and acting as a bridge over other deeper persistant weak layers.

    (2/9/2023)

    Lunch Peak, Cabinet Mountains

    6250'

    South face

    Photo: J. Thompson

Avalanche Discussion

Need some education to go along with your avalanche gear? Check out the IPAC website for a listing of classes. We still have some avalibility for classes!

https://www.idahopanhandleavalanche.org/education

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