Avalanche forecast

Silver Valley & Bitterroot Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

9 to 12 inches of new snow in the mountains came in with wind earlier this week. A couple days of stable weather have contributed to increased stability in the upper snowpack. But, slabs of drifted snow, most likely on east aspects, and a persistent weak layer are worth investigating before committing to slopes steeper than 35° today.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    Facets around January’s Lucky Friday layer are my biggest concern today. Now buried 1-3’ deep, depending on location, a slide on this layer is a low likelihood, high consequence scenario. Recent stability tests have shown this layer to be stubborn, but I’m still skeptical. I believe it has the potential to propagate in the right situation, on big slopes near trigger points where the snowpack is shallow.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday Kyla and I toured the ridge above Copper Lake, just east of Lookout. Conditions were ideal with sunshine, light wind, moderate temperatures, and soft snow. Today the weather will shift to breezy and overcast with light snowfall, but riding conditions should still be good with a right side up snowpack and generally stable conditions.

Wind Slabs formed with the strong winds during the storm early in the week will be less reactive today, but worth watching out for on start zones in steep terrain. Facets around the Lucky Friday layer are my biggest concern today. We found the layer buried over 100cm from surface on northeast and west aspects below ridgeline. At that depth it is difficult to trigger as force is absorbed and bridged by the snowpack above it. However, where the snowpack is thinner, from wind scouring and settling on southwest aspects, a slide might still be possible. Triggering a slide on this layer is a low likelihood, high consequence scenario. Loose sluffs are definitely possible on steep slopes.

Wednesday’s cold clear night allowed the growth of widespread surface hoar. It’s not a problem right now, but if it gets buried intact we will need to keep an eye on it. We did find a layer of preserved surface hoar feathers mixed with grapple about a foot from surface. It did not show a willingness to propagate in our pit tests, but we will have to see how it reacts to the foot of new snow forecast for the area in the coming week!

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There is still time to sign up for a FIPAC Rec Avy 1 class at Silver this weekend and Schwitzer the first weekend in March.

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