Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

An Avalanche Watch is in effect. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist. Strong winds combined with new snow will lead to widespread areas of unstable snow. Avalanches will be larger and more dangerous where winds transport snow into thick slabs. Stick to lower-angled slopes that are protected from the wind.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Strong winds will drift new and recent snow into slabs that will be large enough to bury, injure, and kill a person. Active wind loading will be an easy way to identify where this problem exists. Cracking in the new snow and pillowy-looking surfaces are other signs pointing you towards terrain sheltered from the wind. Today will be a day to give wind-drifted slopes a wide margin for error. 

    (1/8/2024)

    Expect cornices to grow to adulthood in the next few days, thanks to the strong winds associated with a powerful storm.

    Photo: blase reardon

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Pay close attention to the amount of new snow falling from the sky, and adjust your plans accordingly. If you see 8 or more inches of snow pile up, dial back your slope angles to less than 30 degrees. Shooting cracks and recent avalanches are signs this problem exists. New and recent snow rests on persistent weak layers in some areas. This may cause slabs to propagate wide distances and be triggered remotely. 

    (1/7/2024)

    Storm Slab in the Swan Range.

    Photo: Kaleb Retz

Avalanche Discussion

We issued an Avalanche Watch at 6:00 PM on Monday. Forecasted snow totals and strong winds will increase the avalanche danger throughout the day. It is likely to trigger a slab avalanche involving new and wind-drifted snow. 

This morning we will see increased snowfall rates in all ranges as the cold front passes through. Convective snow showers this afternoon will lead to bands of heavy snowfall. These bands may be spotty, which could make one drainage more dangerous than another. It will be up to you to assess conditions as you go. Look at each slope throughout the day with a fresh set of eyes. Pay close attention to snowfall rates and to areas where winds are drifting snow. 

This weekend’s storm deposited 1 to 3 feet of new snow across the forecast region. Recent avalanche activity has primarily consisted of soft slabs and loose dry avalanches. Blase did find a few natural hard slabs in the northern Whitefish Range on Sunday. These slabs failed at the base of cliffs where sluff debris piled up deep. Human-triggered slab avalanches occurred as recently as yesterday (Monday). New snow and strong winds today will spur another round of natural or human-triggered avalanches.

Regions covered