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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Expect generally safe avalanche conditions. Ride around isolated slabs of wind-drifted snow at upper elevations. Slabs of drifted snow should be small and easy to identify. If you choose to ride in steep terrain, only expose one rider at a time. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Triggering a small wind slab can have outsized consequences in exposed or consequential terrain. Expect to find small slabs of drifted snow near ridgelines and on the sidewalls of gullies further down the slope. Reduce your chances of triggering a small slab by riding around dune-shaped drifts or pillowy looking surfaces. 

    Most slabs formed late last week and are slowly stabilizing. Recent observations note short, shallow cracks near ridgelines. One report from the northern Whitefish Range included a remotely triggered avalanche just below a ridgeline.

    (1/12/2025) Able to trigger this 50’ wide wind slab just below Hornet Wx Station. Slab was about 20 cm thick and failed on a layer of NSF.

Avalanche Discussion

Generally safe avalanche conditions may allow for ticking off bigger objectives or riding in steep terrain. If you are planning to ride in steep or consequential terrain, here is some travel advice to help build in wider margins for safety:

  • Plan your ride or descent with your partner and have an escape route in the event of a surprise.
  • Only expose one rider to steep terrain at a time.
    • If your buddy gets their machine stuck on a steep slope, the best thing you can do is to find a safe location and sit back and watch them unstuck their machine.
  • Position a spotter in a safe location with good visibility of the slope and runout.
  • Re-group in safe locations that are free of overhead hazards.
  • Avoid parking in the runouts of avalanche paths.

Slabs of wind-drifted snow remain the primary problem to manage today. We are roughly four days from the loading event, so slabs should be gaining strength and unlikely to trigger. You can stack the deck in your favor by easily riding around areas that collect wind-blown snow. Expect these to become more frequent along the crests of the Swan and Flathead Ranges and closer to the Continental Divide.

Two other avalanche hazards are worth keeping in mind:

  • Dry, loose snow slides: Several reports have noted natural or triggered sluffs running on the snow surface. As the surface snow facets, these may become more common in steep terrain.
  • Glide avalanches: People have noticed glide cracks near Essex, in the Mission Mountains, on the Swan Front, and in the southern Whitefish Range. Managing your exposure to these is straightforward - don't travel below them. 

We removed the Persistent Slab avalanche problem yesterday (Monday). Although weak layers exist in the snowpack, they appear dormant and very unlikely to trigger. Snowpack tests show non-propagating results, and we have received no reports of triggered avalanches or whumpfs in a little over two weeks.

Regions covered