Avalanche forecast

Selkirk Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Increasing sunshine and above-freezing temperatures at all elevations will warm up the surface snow and create wet snow problems. Aspects that receive direct sun will be the most likely areas to encounter this hazard and will be the first place where it unfolds. Conditions can change quickly, so if you see rollerballs gaining in size, or find that snow can easily break off in sheets below your skis or board, make a plan to retreat to lower-angle terrain that is protected from steep slopes above.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    The sun made only limited appearances yesterday, but it’s expected to have a much stronger impact today. This time of year, the sun sits higher in the sky and delivers more direct radiation to all aspects, allowing snow surface conditions to change rapidly. Wet snow problems may develop quickly, especially with a slick crust underlying the surface snow, which could make slabs more reactive and avalanches easier to trigger or even occur naturally.

    Expect a wide range of surface conditions depending on cloud cover, elevation, and aspect. Solar aspects, particularly east through south to west (later in the day) will warm the fastest. Diligently monitor surface conditions, plan your route carefully, and be prepared to adjust plans if you observe signs of instability such as loose wet avalanches, pinwheels, or a rapid shift from dry to moist snow. Avalanche danger is likely to increase as the day progresses.

    The danger will rise during the day as sun exposure and the ambient air temperature increase. Observing snow shed around cliff bands and rocks is one of your first clues that wet hazards are developing. Photo from the East Cabinets. 

    March 28, 2026.

    Photo: Micah Krmpotich

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2

    Slabs that formed from the most recent snowfall from the very end of March to the beginning of April will continue to consolidate under increasingly warm air temperatures and direct solar input. As meltwater works through the slab, moisture could lubricate the bond between the slab and the slick crust that it is resting on. This added water could destabilize the slab and cause avalanches to fail naturally or by human triggering. A small loose wet avalanche could trigger a larger slab avalanche, which would have cascading consequences. With such a firm and slick bed surface, a slab avalanche could quickly grow in size, and the dense debris would be very difficult to escape.

    The best way to avoid this scenario is to monitor how much the surface snow is wetting, and avoid being on or below slopes over 30 degrees as the daytime warm-up takes place.

    In the previous days, field teams have observed propagating results within the slab of recent snow. Meltwater working through the slab today could weaken these interfaces even more or lubricate the bond between the slab and crust layers.

    Photo: Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday’s mild weather and periods of sun were the opening act for today, which will feature much warmer conditions, less cloud cover, and more sunshine. If you’ve been jonesing for some abnormally warm temperatures, then you’re in luck for the rest of the weekend.

Unfortunately, the spike in warmth will also bring an elevated avalanche danger. With a blanket of recent snow and a balmy weather forecast, wet snow problems will undoubtedly emerge. The trickiest part of it all is pinning down that exact window. Peak activity hinges around sun exposure and duration, cloud cover, and air temperatures. Spring can be a great time of the year to get out in the mountains, but it requires an understanding of the fact that conditions can change rapidly, and forecasters can have a higher degree of uncertainty with some wet snow problems as opposed to others.

As the surface snow softens, loose wet avalanches will likely be the first hazard to develop. Aspects that receive more sun (east-south-west) will have a higher likelihood of natural and human-triggered avalanches. With the forecasted ambient air temperatures and high sun angle this time of year, the more northerly aspects can’t be discounted, either. The best way to manage this problem today: get an early start, monitor surface changes, and make a plan to be out of the mountains by the afternoon, which avoids exposure to avalanche paths and crossing below large cliff bands.

Meltwater working through the most recent slab could quickly destabilize different storm interfaces or the bond between the snow and a very firm crust. As the water lubricates these different layers, natural and human triggering could become a possibility. The warm weather will again play a role here, and solar aspects have a better chance of slabs consolidating more quickly, and more meltwater added may make triggering a slab easier. However, slab depths could be deeper on the north side of the compass, and these more leeward aspects could still produce a slab avalanche.

If this all sounds a little complicated, it’s because it is. Although spring has sprung, the snowpack is a bit more complex than what we typically think of when lining out late-season objectives. Dangerous conditions still exist in the mountains, and it’s important to remember to keep the avalanche brain engaged, read the environment around you, and diligently look for small changes to try to stay ahead of the curve.

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