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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2026–Mar 18th, 2026

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Lizard-Flathead, Akamina, Flathead, Lizard.

Warm temperatures and mixed precipitation are creating dangerous avalanche conditions.

Only simple terrain with no overhead hazards is appropriate at this time.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to the timing, track, and intensity of the incoming weather system.
  • We are uncertain due to variable freezing levels.

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, several natural, cornice and explosive triggered avalanches were reported. Avalanches were a mix of cornice, persistent slab and storm slab and up to size 2.

On Monday, several small rider-triggered wind slab avalanches were reported.

On Sunday, a size 3 avalanche was reported in the Lizard Range below a steep headwall with a 2 meter crown. The avalanche was naturally triggered by a cornice.

Snowpack Summary

High freezing levels and light rain are softening surface snow to treeline and possibly above. Where snow is dry it is heavily wind affected.

Below this a 1 to 10 cm thick crust can be found on all aspects and is down 30 to 50 cm. The thickness of the crust depends on elevation. Several recent avalanches have released to this layer.

At upper elevations, where the crust is thinner or not present, it may still be possible to trigger persistent slabs on multiple buried weak layers of surface hoar and/or crusts in the top 120 cm of the snowpack.

Cornices are large and looming. Avoid traveling underneath them.

The mid/lower snowpack is well settled and strong in most areas.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Cloudy. up to 10 mm of rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy. Up to 10 mm of rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.

Thursday
Cloudy. 10 to 25 mm of rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.

Friday
Cloudy. 25 to 45 mm of rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 2700 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Loose avalanches may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • Loose avalanches may start small, but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
  • Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain; avalanches may run surprisingly far.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.