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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2026–Mar 18th, 2026

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
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.

5:30 Update Avalanche Hazard is High.

Avoid all avalanche terrain

Heavy rain and high freezing levels are creating very dangerous conditions.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about how persistent slabs will react to the forecast weather.

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 heavy rain are saturating surface snow to ridgetop.

Below this a 1 to 10 cm thick crust can be found on all aspects and is down 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

  • Wet avalanche activity may step down to deeply buried persistent weak layers at lower elevations.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • 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.

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.

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.