Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 7th, 2026–Mar 8th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Flathead, Lizard, Moyie.

A persistent weak layer remains the primary concern - stick to conservative terrain free from overhead hazard.

Watch for new and reactive wind slabs forming at upper elevations.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.
We are uncertain due to the variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported in the last 2 days. While reports of avalanche activity have tapered, the snowpack structure remains a concern.

Forecast warm temperatures, mixed precipitation and strong winds will sustain conditions for human triggering.

Snowpack Summary

A few centimeters of new snow and strong winds may build small wind slabs at upper elevations.

Multiple weak layers of surface hoar and/or crust–facet combinations may be present within the upper meter of the snowpack. The most reactive layer, formed in late January, is buried 40–90 cm deep. Recent avalanches have primarily failed on this surface hoar layer, particularly in steep, sheltered terrain at treeline and below.

While this layer has shown reduced reactivity near the ski hill and in the Lizard Range, riders are still sporadically triggering it across the forecast area.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night
Cloudy. 2 to 4 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Sunday
Cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 70 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Monday
Mix of sun and clouds. 4 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
Avoid shallow snowpack areas, rocky outcrops, and steep terrain where triggering is most likely.
Approach steep and open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, as buried surface hoar may exist.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.