Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Seek out soft snow in terrain sheltered from the wind. Shifting winds have left slabs of drifted snow on varying slopes. These may be more sensitive along ridge crests at upper elevations. Dune-shaped drifts and dense surfaces are signs you’ve found a wind slab.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The most recent storm left up to 12 inches of snow available for transport. Light to moderate southwest winds, followed by north-to-east winds and a return to southwesterly winds, have drifted this snow onto multiple aspects.  Slabs will increase in size and distribution as you gain elevation. These features are often found beneath ridgelines and saddles, and near mid-slope terrain features such as gullies and ribs.

    Tell-tale signs the wind has been at work include an etched surface, pillows, and denser snow resting on softer snow. 

    Cracking underfoot or a sled indicates you have found a slab. Utilize hand tests to see how well the slab is bonded to the snow beneath. The riding in sheltered areas is currently top-notch. If your decisions take you into avalanche prone terrain, build in a safety margin by only exposing one rider to steep slopes at a time. Hedge your bets on slopes with smooth runouts free of terrain traps. 

    Loose Dry: Observers reported surprisingly long-running sluffs in sheltered terrain on Saturday. Expect for and manage your sluff to mitigate this problem. 

    (12/29/2025)

    Two, large natural D2 slab avalanches ran sometime in the last week at upper elevations in the Flathead Range with partially filled in crowns. 

    Photo: Michael Reavis

Avalanche Discussion

Friday and Saturday's storm deposited 4 to 12 inches of new snow across the advisory area. New snow was accompanied by moderate to strong winds. Both human-triggered and natural avalanches up to size 2 (large) occurred during, or just after the storm (observation, observation). Since then, mild weather has helped the upper snowpack gain strength. The last reported human-triggered avalanche was on December 26th.

Be alert for signs of wind-drifted snow as you gain elevation, especially if you travel along ridge crests or climb into the alpine. Some pieces of terrain that come to mind that I’d suspect larger slabs of drifted snow in are the crest of the Flathead Range, the steep chutes down to Picnic Lakes in the Swan Range, or the higher peaks in the northern Whitefish Range. We suspect that recently formed slabs are becoming increasingly stubborn to human triggers and anticipate lowering the likelihood in the coming days. Until then, continue to assess each slope with a fresh set of eyes. Favor traveling in areas where you don’t see wind effects. 

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