Avalanche forecast

East Cabinet Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The snowpack across the Kootenai remains thin and generally stable in structure. Today you can expect to see small loose-wet avalanches in the snowpack surface as warm temperatures and rain move into the area at elevations below 6,000'. This issue will likely become worse as temperatures rise during the afternoon.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1

    The weather forecast is calling for rain today that will gradually move up the hill to above 6,000' as the day progresses. Although our snowpack is generally stable in structure, you can expect to see the surface of the snowpack loosen up with the warm air and rain. This will increase the chances of triggering small avalanches in steep terrain at lower altitudes. You can avoid this issue by riding in zones above 6,000' where the snowpack is also thicker. This will decrease your chances of triggering small avalanches and hitting obstacles buried in our shallow snowpack.

Avalanche Discussion

On Monday I toured into the East Cabinets and was able to travel up to 7,000'. We observed mild temperatures in the upper 30's but experienced no signs of instability. Stability tests also reinforced the evidence that although our snowpack is thin, it is unlikely to fail and produce any slab avalanches for now. Generally, rain on snow causes an increase in avalanche danger whether it is loose wet avalanches or large wet slab avalanches. With our current snowpack structure and the minimal amount of rain predicted it is unlikely that we will see any larger slab avalanches produced in the coming days. Stay dry out there today and think snow!

 

Regions covered