Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

With diminishing hazard and improving weather and visibility, this week will be a good time to explore. Be alert for stubborn slabs of drifted snow in open bowls, at the tops of chutes, and downwind of saddles that funnel winds. Expose one rider at a time to minimize the consequences of stumbling into a slab that's slow to stabilize. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    On isolated, upper-elevation slopes, you can find slabs of drifted snow that remain sensitive to the weight of a snowmachine or rider. These may be on any aspect, thanks to the recent history of winds blowing from various directions. These reluctant-to-follow-trends slabs will likely feel notably firmer under foot, though not icy or slick. They may give themselves away by cracking around your machine or board(s).

    Mitigate this hazard by minimizing the consequences of a surprise. Climb or descend lines that have clean runouts. Expose one rider at a time, and keep that rider in sight. These practices can reduce the chances of trauma or deep burial, and speed rescues. 

    Wind-sheltered terrain offers great riding if you want to keep your day simpler. 

    (12/28/2025)

    A clear example of the kind of surprise that could be dangerous today: a slab of drifted snow above a terrain trap. A cliff, in this case.

    Photo: Jeremy Primmer

Avalanche Discussion

With diminishing hazard and improving weather and visibility, we're getting a respite from the wild weather swings of the past month. The interlude looks to last through the week. It's a good time to explore, particularly up high. 

In conditions like these, the focus of hazard mitigation tends to be minimizing consequences rather than likelihood. The slabs of drifted snow that remain unstable are isolated; you won't find them in most of the terrain that tends to collect wind-blown snow. Avoiding all terrain like that can be overkill. And the recent snow seems to have settled enought that sluffs aren't entraining debris as they flow downslope. But surprises or misjudgements are possible, so focus on reducing the potential consequences if these were to happen. 

Pick lines with clean runouts - those with gradual transitions to low angle terrain that's free from trees, rocks, or gullies. Expose one rider at at time, and watch them from a spot that's got a view of the full line but isn't exposed to debris from above. This can allow you to keep your friend in sight without literally turning your back on them to flee to safer ground. 

A few key points about the snowpack:

  • Above about 5500 feet, you can find 4 to 12 inches of recent snow that's slowly consolidating. It's sitting on a very hard, icy crust from the Christmas warmup. That makes sidehilling and skinning difficult. 
  • The midpack contains several hard crusts or ice lenses that formed in December. The depth below the surface, thickness, and hardness of these slabs vary with elevation. 
  • We've had a few reports of small facets above or below these crusts, with propagation in tests. This structure doesn't appear common, though observers have reported it in all three zones. 
  • Current conditions are favorable for forming near-surface facets and surface hoar, particularly right above valley stratus clouds. Though layers of these crystals don't pose a hazard unless they're buried, it's worth keeping an eye out for them, particularly if you tend to ride in the same or similar locations throughout the winter.

Speaking of speedy rescues... you can hone your rescues skills this coming Saturday in the FoFAC rescue clinic for motorized riders. Penco Power Products is also hosting an avalanche awareness class on Wednesday, January 7th at 7 PM. 

Regions covered