Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Flathead, Lizard, Lizard-Flathead.
Avalanche danger will increase as rain wets the upper snowpack.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Several natural and artificially triggered size 1 to 2 storm slab avalanches have occurred daily since Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
Surfaces are becoming wet as snow turns to rain.
A melt-freeze crust is found 60 cm deep, except on high-elevation north and east-facing slopes.
A surface hoar or facet layer from late January is buried 100 to 150 cm deep on north and east aspects at treeline and above. This may re-emerge as a persistent slab problem with warming this week.
Weather Summary
Sunday night
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.
Monday
Snow transitioning to rain, 5 to 15 mm. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +1 °C. Freezing level rising to 2300 m.
Tuesday
5 to 15 mm of rain overnight then partly clearing skies. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +6 °C. Freezing level rising to 2600 m.
Wednesday
Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +10 °C. Freezing level rising to 3500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avalanche danger will rapidly increase if snow switches to rain.
- Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
- Cautiously approach steep slopes that are open or sparsely treed.
- Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
20 to 30 cm of snow from the past few days has formed slabs that are most reactive on steep, wind-affected slopes.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Loose Wet
Loose wet avalanches will become increasingly likely as rain soaks the surface.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5