Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

You can find great riding on wind-sheltered, shaded slopes above about 6000 feet. On isolated slopes, you might be able to trigger sluffs of loose, dry snow that can have serious consequences if they push you into a gully or over a cliff. You can minimize this hazard by picking unconfined lines with clean runouts. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–1.5

    You can still trigger sluffs of dry, loose snow on some shaded slopes at upper elevations. Most will be small and harmless. For them to be consequential, you'll need a slope approaching 40 degrees with more than about 8 inches of loose, dry snow. The most dangerous terrain will be confined chutes above terrain traps.

    (12/24/2023) Rider-triggered sluffs on steep, easterly slopes at upper-elevation. Photo: Pete Costain

Avalanche Discussion

Monday's sun was kinda like finding a book under the tree instead of a bike. It's better than nothing. But a foot of new snow sure woulda been nice, Santa. We weren't that naughty. 

Monday, riders reported triggering sluffs of loose dry snow at upper elevations in the Swan Range. These were mostly harmless and became harder to trigger through the day, as the recent snow continued settling. Today, I expect the terrain where you can find this hazard is shrinking. Partly to mostly sunny skies the past two days have likely created a melt-freeze crust on sunny, mid- and upper-elevation terrain. This may be topped by very large surface hoar crystals. Steep, shaded slopes likely retain loose, dry snow at the surface. Sluffs that entrain snow can be dangerous, particularly if they push you into a consequence magnifier, like a cliff, a gully, trees, or dense brush. 

Ridgeline winds ticked up overnight and more gusts may arrive this afternoon. I doubt much snow is available to get moved around; the surface on windward slopes is the melt-freeze crust mentioned above. It'd be worth checking for thin, soft slabs of drifted snow at the tops of chutes, downwind of saddles, and in other terrain that collects wind-blown snow.

Wednesday looks to be sunny again, with temperatures warming to near or above freezing at mid elevations. Those conditions might be favorable for wet snow slides, except, again, for that melt-freeze crust on sunny terrain. If it's well-developed, it'll take a lot of energy to break down. Let us know if you're finding this when your out today. How thick is it? What elevations? Submit an obs online!

While it is Low danger, it remains worth keeping an eye out for isolated hazards and carrying avalanche rescue gear, as verse contributed by Dr. Dara Boilen reminds us:

So, you spent the day inside drinking egg nog T’was easy to do what with low valley fog All Santa brought us was more surface hoarIt’s like it don’t snow in Montana no more. You read in the obz it's good up high; so much fun! Tales of pow and something called the sun?You wanna head out, see if these rumors are true,Bask in the light under skies that are blue. It’s true there’s pow to ride if you get high enoughLook for wind effects and manage your sluffPick lines that aren't above nasty terrain trapsWatch for hazards in this shallow snow pack, braaaaap.Oh and remember as you shake off this extended fall haze Shovel, Probe, and beacon with the fresh triple A’s. 

 

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