Avalanche forecast

Silver Valley & Bitterroot Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Rain on snow near tree line could further lubricate soft snow over a crust, increasing the possibility of wet snow slides entraining enough mass to bury a person. Places you will want to evaluate carefully before committing are continuous steep slopes over terrain traps with 4 inches or more of soft snow. Be prepared to migrate away from steep slopes once you start to see the obvious warning signs, like wet sticky snow, roller balls, and small avalanches shedding from steep terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Rising freezing levels and light rainfall into middle elevations will gradually destabilize snow at the surface and increase the likelihood of Wet Loose avalanches on steep slopes. Areas with around 6 inches of previously soft dry snow are found near and above 5,500 feet and will be wetted for the first time by rainfall. The locations with deeper soft snow are not widespread due to multiple days of strong spring sunshine since the last snowfall. They are generally found on more shaded aspects and in sheltered terrain.

    If you find yourself traveling through these places with more than 4 inches of previously dry powder and notice the snow becoming sticky and saturated, it is time to migrate away from steeper terrain and consider calling it a day, as conditions might rapidly deteriorate. Most Wet Loose avalanches today should be small, but the places capable of producing larger and most consequential slides will be areas where they initiate above long continuously steep terrain, allowing them to accumulate volume, mass, and speed as they move down slope and funnel toward hazardous features below such as deep ravines, cliffs, or dense timber.

    Large natural Wet snow avalanche originated near 6900 feet on a South aspect slope and descended about 1000 feet into this creek drainage. East Cabinets. Photo taken March 28, 2026.

    Photo: Micah Krmpotich

Avalanche Discussion

Don’t get April fooled into thinking winter is over. A spring snowstorm that is entering our region today has the potential to drop nearly a foot, or more, of new snow in the mountains if high end predictions play out. With that the avalanche danger will trend upward this afternoon as the effects of precipitation and wind develop. We anticipate that trend to continue into tomorrow as snow as the snow line drops and the bulk of the precipitation begins to accumulate overnight.

In the meantime, the snowpack continues to diminish. Finding enough snow recreate at our lowest forecasted elevation band, 4,500’ to 5,500’, is becoming increasingly difficult as many access routes have patchy to bare coverage.

Ski and ride safe.

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