Avalanche forecast

East Cabinet Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

It's spring time and playing the sun is now the name of the game. The main avalanche concern out there will be wet-loose avalanches as the temperatures climb back above the freezing mark today. These small avalanches will likely be triggered by humans and you may see some natural avalanches as well. These avalanches are predictable and easily managed with some attention and terrain selection. If the surface of the snowpack is starting to get loose and soft, or if you start seeing small avalanches release in steep terrain, it is time to move off of steep slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1

    Daytime temperatures will rise back above freezing in the afternoon with periodic breaks of sunshine warming the slopes. This will result in small, wet-loose avalanches during the afternoon hours. Both natural and human triggered avalanches are likely in steep terrain that is baking in the sun. This avalanche problem is predictable and easily avoided. Avoid being on steep terrain exposed to the sun during afternoon hours. If you feel the surface of the snowpack getting soft and loose it is time to relocate to lower angle ground or move onto the shady side of the mountain.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–3

    The persistent weak layer consisting of rain crust and facets was still being found this week in the East Cabinets and Purcells on north and east facing terrain. We are seeing some propagation with hard force in some of our stability tests but results are inconsistent. I would continue to use a bit of caution in steep and north facing terrain in these ranges. Take the time to dig into the upper 3 feet of the snowpack and see if you are getting results out of this layer before committing to steep and open terrain on these aspects. This weakness is gaining strength as we cycle through warm days and cold nights.

Avalanche Discussion

Warm days and cold nights are working their magic across the Kootenai area and slowly stabilizing the snowpack. This past week I have been focusing my attention on the distribution and reactivity of the crust-facet combo in the upper snowpack. What I am seeing out there is some low potential for this layer to cause human triggered avalanches on the northerly aspects. The surface of the snowpack is also now bridged by a 1-2" thick crust in most locations from warm daytime temps and a bit of high elevation rain on Wednesday night. The avalanche problem we are currently seeing the most potential in is those wet-loose avalanches resulting from daytime heating. Yesterday the snowpack surface stayed pretty firm until noon on aspects exposed to the sun. With snotel sites all showing temperatures below the freezing mark last night it is likely the surface of the snowpack will stay very firm through the morning with low avalanche danger. As always, keep in mind that "low avalanche danger" does not mean "no avalanche danger". You will likely see avalanche potential out there today; but, avalanches should be small and can be managed by moving to lower angle terrain as tempertures rise or if the sun pokes out. The most serious harm from these types of avalanches culminates in locations where the terrain is big and funnels a large volume of snow into gullies and terrain traps. The East Cabinets come to mind here!

Enjoy the spring-like conditions as winter winds down!

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