Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Highlights

Solar radiation and warming temperatures may wet the snow surface on sunny aspects, causing a round of wet loose avalanches. Watch for rollerballs and keep an eye on rocky areas since they will be the first to slide. Steer around isolated slabs of drifted snow while hunting for cold snow on northerly aspects above 6500 feet. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Roughly 4 to 7 inches of new low-density snow rests atop a hard and supportable crust. Solar radiation and rising freezing levels may wet the snow surface and cause it to slide. Slides may run far distances and be easy to trigger due to the underlying crust. Stick to shaded slopes and plan your day to have an exit free of overhead hazards that face south and west.

    (3/31/2022)

    Warming temperatures resulted in a widespread wet loose avalanche cycle on March 23. The dirty debris is indicative of slides which run on the ground.

    Photo: Mark Dundas

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Sustained 10 to 15 mph wind speeds have drifted snow into slabs on the leeward side of ridgelines and saddles. Pillowy-looking surfaces and dune-shaped features are your sign you found a wind slab. Steer around and tuck in below these features on your quest for cold snow on shaded aspects. Once you succeed at finding snow protected from the wind, be prepared to manage your sluff in steep terrain by allowing it to run safely past you. 

    (4/1/2022)

    A view of the crown of a partially filled-in soft slab avalanche. This slide is on the leeward side of a ridgeline and is probably a wind slab.

    Photo: Tom Whipple

Avalanche Discussion

Saturday’s quick-hitting cold front dropped 5 to 7 inches throughout the forecast region. The Whitefish Range received the higher end of snow totals. Remote weather stations above 6500 feet averaged 10 to 20 mph, with nearly all reporting gusts into the 30 mph range.

Clear skies this morning will allow the warm spring sun to hit this new, cold snow. Freezing levels are forecast to rise to roughly 6500 feet later in the day. Clear skies will transition to mostly cloudy skies later in the afternoon.

Anticipate snow to wet and slide easily on top of the recent melt-freeze crust. These slides may entrain enough snow to be large enough to bury and injure a person. A safer and higher quality experience will be on shaded aspects in areas protected by the wind. On these slopes, keep a close eye on surface conditions and avoid areas of wind drifted snow. Manage your sluff with defensive riding strategies if you succeed in finding cold snow protected from the wind. Any triggered sluff should be relatively small and easy to manage.

Another fast-moving cold front will enter the region late this evening. This storm system will bring heavy snowfall rates and gale-force winds. Anticipate dangerous avalanche conditions to develop on Monday and Tuesday.

Each Friday, FAC produces a weekly summary text and video of weather, snowpack, and avalanche conditions. You can find the video in the media section below or both products in the Conditions Blog tab or here.

Join us for our last education event of the season. Topics Class! The Scoop on Spring Touring, Wednesday, April 6, 6:30 to 7:30. No registration is necessary for this in-person event.

Regions covered