Avalanche forecast

East Cabinet Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Continued snowfall and strong winds will increase slab depths and create very dangerous conditions. A rain crust that developed on Wednesday has created a slick surface for new snow to fail on, and upper elevations will harbor deeper inverted slabs that will be very easy for a skier or rider to trigger. Avoid traveling in, adjacent to, or below avalanche terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Continued heavy snowfall and strong winds are creating reactive storm slabs 2 to 3 feet deep. Over the past two days, the storm has favored the Silver Valley and East Cabinet Mountains, though all zones have received snowfall totals that exceed earlier forecasts. On Sunday, most areas are expected to receive an additional 6 to 10 inches of snow, with some locations picking up over a foot during the day. As snowfall continues, slab depths will keep increasing.

    Very strong winds over the past 24 to 48 hours have drifted the new snow into deeper, stiffer slabs. Elevated wind speeds on Friday and Saturday have continued to stack fresh snowfall over a variety of snow surface interfaces, creating increasingly complex conditions. Conservative terrain selection and cautious travel are imperative. If you cannot clearly see the terrain above you, consider choosing another place to recreate, as unusual weather patterns can produce unusual and unexpected avalanche behavior. Today, it is recommended to stay out of avalanche terrain and avoid traveling beneath avalanche-prone slopes.

    Since snowfall started on March 11, 2 to 3+ feet of snow has fallen across the Silver Valley-Bitterroots. The slab has come in inverted, with lighter snow at the bottom and denser snow on top, all sitting on a slick crust. Strong winds have further exacerbated the depth and sensitivity of slabs. 

    March 12, 2026. 

    Photo: Izzy Davis

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2.5–3

    A cohesive slab 3 to 5 feet thick overlies two buried surface hoar layers, with slab depths continuing to increase during the current storm. One surface hoar layer was buried at the end of January (1/28), and the other in mid-February around Valentine’s Day (2/14). The overlying slab has stiffened and settled due to wind, warmer temperatures, and natural settlement within the snowpack.

    As the slab has strengthened, the likelihood of human-triggered or natural avalanches has decreased. However, persistent weak layers always carry uncertainty, and these layers are currently being tested by rapid loading from the ongoing storm. If one of these layers were to become reactive, the potential remains for large to very large, destructive avalanches with serious consequences.

    The buried surface hoar from 2/14 and 1/28 is rounding and becoming less reactive, but can still be found 3 to 5 feet down. With these depths, triggering a Persistent Slab avalanche is less likely, but would carry significant consequences. These grains were from a northeast aspect near 6,200'.

    March 8, 2026.

    Photo: Izzy Davis

Avalanche Discussion

Before the strong atmospheric river starts to make its departure out of the region Saturday evening, another round of heavy snowfall will be concentrated primarily in the East Cabinet Mountains and Silver Valley-Bitterroots. These areas have a high chance of receiving 8 inches by the end of the day, and could see close to a foot. The Selkirk and Purcell Mountains will be too far north of the storm track to receive heavy snowfall, but will still get several inches. Storm totals across the region amount to 2 to 3+ feet of snow since March 11.

The Inland Northwest has been under the most potent winter storm we’ve seen so far this season. Aside from just the sheer impressive snowfall amounts, extreme winds, warming temperatures, and shifting rain lines have all contributed to very dangerous conditions building in the mountains. With such rapid change in a short period of time, expect the snowpack to behave in surprising ways.

On Wednesday, the rain line drove higher up in the mountains, resulting in a rain crust forming right before heavy snowfall. While there is some uncertainty around what exact elevation the rain reached, field teams across the Selkirk, Bitterroot, and East Cabinet Mountains have found this crust to extend around 5,500 feet to 6,000 feet. This crust is acting as a slick sliding surface, and temperature swings have caused the snow above to be inverted and reactive. At elevations above the rain crust, the wind will continue to create deeper slabs.

Poor visibility has made it difficult for field teams to observe the extent of natural releases across the region. Until the weather dies down and the snowpack can settle, avoid traveling in and around avalanche terrain. Large to very large avalanches can release naturally and run long distances in runout zones. Avoid travelling below avalanche paths. If you get out in the mountains, make a well-known plan that avoids slopes over 30 degrees and poses no overhead hazard.  

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