Avalanche forecast

Silver Valley & Bitterroot Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche conditions are generally safe, but hazards remain in isolated areas, primarily in extreme terrain. Many slopes have wind-affected snow and variable crusts on or near the snow surface. If the effects of the sun and warm temperatures are stronger than expected, isolated wet avalanches may occur on steep, sun-facing slopes. Additionally, small pockets of wind-drifted snow at higher elevations could still be triggered by a person or machine.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Cooler, below-freezing temperatures, earlier this week, have refrozen a previously weak and saturated snowpack. Rain and heavy snow from late February have formed a strong rain crust, helping to stabilize the January Drought Layer (JDL) below. While the snowpack is improving, and triggering an avalanche in the persistent slab is unlikely, the problem isn't entirely gone. In shallow, rocky terrain or upper elevations where the rain crust is thinner, triggering the lingering weak JDL grains is still possible. Since these weak layers are now buried 2-3 feet deep, they are harder to affect on skis, but a heavier snowmobile has a greater chance of breaking through and triggering a large avalanche.

    (3/6/2025)

    Hiding near the treeline is an old crown. This avalanche failed in a thinner part of the snowapack, near a thin rocky cliff band.

    Photo: Izzy Davis

Avalanche Discussion

Warm weather continues during the day this weekend, but temperatures have been droping below freezing at night creating a supportable crust layer on the surface of the snow.  As the snowpack adjusts to these changes, so does the avalanche hazard. While cooling temperatures are helping to stabilize the snowpack, the persistent slab problem still lingers. A thick rain crust from late February is becoming increasingly frozen and harder to break through, burying the weak January Drought Layer (JDL) 2-3 feet deep. Even though triggering an avalanche on the JDL is unlikely, in shallower areas, weak grains remain closer to the surface and could still be triggered, especially near rocky outcrops or wind-scoured slopes. Before committing to large, steep terrain, take time to assess how the snowpack is bonding. Observing surface changes based on aspect and elevation as you move through the mountains will help identify safer zones for skiing and riding.

As temperatures rise throughout the day, be mindful of changing conditions on sunny slopes. Warming increases avalanche danger, especially on sun-exposed terrain. By managing the aspects you travel on or below, you can often mitigate the risk. East- and south-facing slopes warm up first, while west-facing slopes heat later in the day. North-facing slopes, however, typically remain shaded this time of year and do not experience the same daily freeze-thaw cycle as other aspects.

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