Avalanche forecast

Purcell Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

New snow and strong winds will continue to add depth to slabs. Upper elevations that did not receive rain will be the most dangerous areas, and slabs will be the largest and most reactive around ridgelines and steep terrain features. Keep a wide margin around slopes 30 degrees or greater until the snowpack has time to settle.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    A 3 to 5-foot-thick cohesive slab overlies two buried surface hoar layers. Slab depths are increasing during this current storm. One surface hoar layer got buried at the end of January (1/28) and the other in mid-February around Valentine’s Day (2/14). The slab above has stiffened and settled due to wind, warmer temperatures, and natural settlement.

    As the slab has strengthened, the likelihood of human-triggered or natural avalanches has decreased. Yet, uncertainty inherently exists around persistent weak layers, and these layers are being tested with the current rapid loading. Large to very large destructive avalanche potential and inherent consequences remain significant if one of these persistent weak layers is woken up and an avalanche occurs.

    (3/9/2026)

    Large surface hoar up to 8mm in size is visible to the naked eye at the January 28th interface. This layer is found 3 to 5 feet below the surface and was exposed here after the overlying slab failed and slid downslope during a propagation saw test

    Photo: Jackson George

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Continued heavy snowfall and winds are creating reactive storm slabs 1.5 to 2 feet deep. Forecasted snow amounts during the day will build even deeper slabs. Very strong winds drifted the new snow into deeper and stiffer slabs in the previous 24 to 48 hours, and today's storm and strong winds will continue to stack up new snowfall over varied interfaces. Conservative terrain selection and travel choices are imperative.  If you cannot see the terrain above you, consider another spot to recreate, as weird weather often breeds weird, unexpected avalanche behavior.

    Cracking extending from a person's skis triggered this Wind Slab avalanche while walking along the edge of a gentle ridgeline.

    Photo: Jackson George

Avalanche Discussion

A series of wild weather has hit the Inland Northwest, and in the previous 48 hours, weather stations have reported wind gusts peaking at 100mph. Since snowfall started on March 11, the Selkirk Mountains have received 11 to 18 inches of new snow, the Cabinet Mountains have totaled 23 to 28 inches, and the Silver Valley-Bitterroots have stacked 12 to 21 inches. Snowfall continues today, and the southern end of the forecast area is positioned to see nearly two feet of new snow by sunrise on Saturday.

To add to the complexity, during the storm on Wednesday night, the snow line crept up to near tree line elevations across the region. While there is some uncertainty around exactly what elevation the rain reached and how it differs across zones, reports from the Selkirk and Bitterroot Mountains suggest the rain reached at least 5,500-6,000 feet. New snow today will fall on a variety of surfaces, and because of this, slab depths and sensitivity may change at different elevations.

Despite some uncertainty mixed in, the message is really clear right now: All of the ingredients for very dangerous conditions are at play. Inverted slabs, strong winds, a slick bed surface, and heavy snowfall are all factors in extending the Avalanche Warning in the Silver Valley-Bitterroots and East Cabinet Mountains. Weird weather breeds weird avalanche problems, and there has been no shortage of weird, quickly changing weather across all zones.

Today is not the day to try to thread the needle anywhere. The snowpack doesn’t handle sudden changes well, and it will need some time to settle out. If you choose to get out in the mountains, managing your slope angle and avoiding overhead hazards will be imperative. Traveling in or around avalanche terrain is not recommended.

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