Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Shifting winds have left slabs of drifted snow on various slopes. Dune-shaped deposits and a scalloped or dense surface indicate you have found wind-affected snow. Seek out higher-quality conditions in sheltered terrain, keeping in mind that triggering a loose slide is possible on steep slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The most recent storm left up to 12 inches of snow available for transport. Light to moderate southwest winds, followed by north-to-east winds and a return to southwesterly winds, have drifted this snow onto multiple aspects.  Slabs will increase in size and distribution as you gain elevation. These features are often found beneath ridgelines and saddles, and near mid-slope terrain features such as gullies and ribs.

    Tell-tale signs the wind has been at work include an etched surface, pillows, and denser snow resting on softer snow. 

    Cracking underfoot or a sled indicates you have found a slab. Utilize hand tests to see how well the slab is bonded to the snow beneath. The riding in sheltered areas is currently top-notch, at least for this meek season, so seek that terrain out. 

    Loose Dry: Observers reported surprisingly long-running sluffs in sheltered terrain on Saturday. Expect for and manage your sluff to mitigate this problem. 

    (2/26/2025)

    Last season, this hard slab avalanche ocurred on a heavily wind-loaded slope near ridgeline. Exposed terrain near the ridge could still be harboring sensitive wind slabs today.

    Photo: Flathead Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

A productive storm Friday into Saturday deposited 4-12” of right-side-up snow. On exposed slopes, southwesterly winds transported this snow onto typical leeward slopes. Early Saturday morning, Arctic air moved west across the Continental Divide and into the Flathead Valley, delivering some of the coldest temperatures of the season. North and east winds accompanied this push of bone-chilling air, drifting snow onto atypical surfaces. Overnight, winds backed to a southwesterly flow with speeds sufficient to transport snow.

You may find slabs of wind-drifted snow on various wind-exposed aspects. Features formed by west-southwesterly winds will be resting in their usual places. The north and east winds are fickle and more challenging to predict, making it difficult to determine precisely which terrain they affect. These winds made only a brief appearance during daylight hours, and their speed was substantially lower than what winds from this direction often produce.

Saturday, observers in the southern Whitefish Range found limited evidence of wind-affected snow with isolated cracking their only sign of instability in the 8-12” of recent snow (Observation, Observation). In the Red Meadow area of the Whitefish Range, Rob and Mike found a deep and stable snowpack with long-running sluffs as their primary concern (Observation). A party in Essex found slightly less recent snow and no concerning signs of instability (Observation).

It's worth noting that, due to difficult access, most observations received this season have come from mid-elevation locations sheltered from the wind and have favored the Whitefish Range, with limited data from the Swan Range and alpine areas in the Flathead. For example, FAC staff noted recent wind-transported snow this weekend, but we were unable to reach the loaded terrain. This lack of data may skew users' perception of conditions across the forecast area.

 

Regions covered