Avalanche forecast

Selkirk Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

The multi-day streak of reported human-triggered avalanches came to an end on Saturday, but the dangerous conditions didn’t miraculously fade away. Fragile weak snow layers remain extremely vulnerable to failure and you can trigger one of these potentially deadly avalanches on or adjacent to slopes over 30 degrees, and from lower-angled slopes below steeper ones. Recent avalanches have demonstrated wide propagation potential so be mindful where you are in the terrain and give steeper slopes an extra wide buffer.

Another warm, strong storm is forecast to deliver an additional 1 to 2 feet of snow onto our suspect snowpack, and we anticipate a rise in avalanche conditions on Monday and Tuesday.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Slab depths over fragile persistent weak layers are generally 2 to 3 feet deep. This means, avalanches breaking in any one of our suspect weak layers below - multiple surface hoar layers or faceted crusts - are capable of producing an avalanche large enough to bury, injure, or kill a person. These dangerous slabs slowly formed during incremental snowfall in February, and have more recently reached a critical mass threshold. The most recent snow load did not provide the major gut punch to the snowpack we had hoped for to provoke a widespread natural cycle. Instead, the snowpack on many slopes was pushed toward the edge without completely falling apart, and now teeter there waiting for a rider or machine to tickle it in the wrong spot.

    As the overlying slab got thicker and became more connected across terrain features, we observed an uptick in size for both natural and human-triggered avalanches. Clear warning signs like long-shooting cracks and audible collapses have returned and these clues of unstable snow are also being reported well away from the slope that avalanches. This classically describes the unpredictable, remote-trigger behavior of Persistent Slab avalanches. Because of this, it’s not enough to simply avoid traveling on steeper slopes, but it’s also imperative to avoid traveling in lower-angled terrain with steeper, bigger hazards directly above.

    (2/20/2026)

    A large skier triggered slide on the east-facing slope of Blue Mountain. The slide in the foreground likely failed sympathetically while the initial slide traveled downhill. Fraglie surface hoar lurks below the recent snowfall and will remain reactive for some time. Selkirk Mountains. Photo taken on February 20, 2026.

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche conditions are dangerous and will remain that way till the snowpack gets a healthy amount of time to settle out. Fortunately but unfortunately, that does not look to happen anytime soon. A poor structure is in place - well within the realm of rider or machine triggering - and the only thing missing is a golden bee bee. As snow depths increased at lower elevations, the risk of avalanches has expanded to slopes that have spent a lot of the season at LOW (1of5) danger due to lesser snow cover. Concerns on slopes below 5,500 feet are not as widespread as higher up, but it’s worth keeping your avalanche hat on to avoid being caught off guard.

Over the last week, we’ve received more reports of human-triggered slides than the entire season combined. There have also been multiple slides with human and/ or rider involvement, one of which resulted in a partial burial. If this is not enough evidence to avoid avalanche terrain and stick to lower-angled terrain, then not sure what additional evidence is needed.

The last loading period from February 14 to 20 was an extremely tricky period to nail down. Slab depth and slab stiffness initially appeared to be a major driver of increased sensitivity in buried surface hoar and faceted crusts in tests, but broader avalanche activity was slower to evolve. As the snow load increased over time, human-triggered avalanches started to occur and become more frequent. Then, some slopes started to fail naturally, providing clear evidence that many more slopes are on the verge of failure.

The stacked weak layer setup in the snowpack creates a very concerning scenario where a large avalanche could grow into an even larger avalanche that would be almost impossible to escape. Persistent Slab avalanches can break in surprising ways and span adjacent terrain features. Now is not the time to try and outsmart conditions, but rather let avoidance be the best terrain management tool. Sticking to flat, open meadows or lower-angled slopes well away from steeper overhead hazards is a great way to enjoy the nice riding conditions without increasing your avalanche risk.

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