Avalanche forecast

East Cabinet Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Highlights

Variable winds have created cohesive slabs at all elevations that will be possible to trigger in terrain steeper than 35 degrees today. With new snow and strong southwesterly winds predicted friday night, we anticipate this issue to become more concerning by Saturday. Weak snow above the Lucky Friday Crust is also showing more potential to fail in stability tests. You can avoid getting into trouble today by choosing terrain angles less than 35 degrees and seek out slopes that have enough timber to be sheltered from the winds.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    On Thursday we observed wind slabs both new and old that varied in potential to be triggered. Open terrain that faces westerly is more scoured and seems to be the only place you won't find wind effected snow at the moment. The East Cabinets have more potential to harbor reactive wind slabs as they recieved slightly more snow from the last storm and the bigger terrain has amplified the effects of the wind compared to the West Cabinets. The wind slab issue is going to become a more concerning threat by Saturday as additional snowfall and strong winds enter from the south west and load north-easterly aspects. 

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Four day's of very cold temperatures have increased the growth of weak, sugary snow crystals around the "Lucky Friday Crust" buried 1 to 2 feet below the snowpack surface. Thursday we found this layer to be failing and propagating in stability tests and was proving to be more of a concern compared to observations taken on Monday.  This weak layer has the highest sensitivity in colder north facing terrain. Persistent weak layers are unpredictable by nature and this one has enough volume to be destructive if triggered. Keeping the slope angles low or travelling on ridgelines where the snowpack is scoured are the best ways to avoid triggering a slide on this weak layer right now.

Regions covered