Avalanche forecast

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Enjoy generally safe avalanche conditions in most terrain. One exception is upper-elevation start zones that face northwest to northeast to southeast, where a nasty weak layer exists deep in the snowpack. A falling cornice or a triggered avalanche in the new snow may trigger a more destructive avalanche that fails deep in the snowpack.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    It is unlikely to trigger an avalanche failing deep in the snowpack where a hard and supportable crust exists near or at the surface. In locations with a hard and supportable crust, you can feel more confident stepping out onto steeper slopes. Note that some areas received more rain than others during the last warm spell, so this crust may vary in thickness within zones or change quickly with elevation.

    If you climb above the crust and begin to feel it get breakable or nonexistent, then we suggest minimizing your time on steep slopes. Especially ones with large cornices above. Terrain peppered by rocks and drifts of wind-blown snow are surface clues of variability. Thin patches of snow cover can be trigger points for these large avalanches.

    (3/28/2026)

    A look at the crown of an old slab avalanche. The crown propagated beyond the right side of the cornice in a similar fashion.

    Photo: Lydia Willoughby

Avalanche Discussion

Anywhere from four to 12 inches of snow fell throughout the advisory area Sunday night. Recent avalanche activity has mostly involved loose dry sluffs in very steep terrain. One soft slab avalanche was observed near Marias Pass yesterday. Slope cuts in wind-loaded terrain have produced no results.

Yesterday (Tuesday), we observed small-grained surface hoar at the surface on polar aspects. I’d also expect some faceting above the most recent crust. The weakening surface snow may lead to sensitive, widely propagating slab avalanches with the next storm system. Stay tuned as conditions will change. 

This week - our last week of daily forecast for the 2025-26 winter - we’re highlighting people, teams, and organizations that have contributed notably to Flathead Avalanche’s work and products, and supported the forecast team through a challenging and hopefully an unusual winter.

"The weather station endures a lonely life,

Winds, snow and rain bring hourly strife.

On ridge tops and meadows, in cold and warm,

It records and transmits the pulse of the storm,

Sometimes fickle, yet amazingly robust,

It keeps on ticking, if not, it's cussed."

- Mark Moore

Howie with Nohow Inc. Thanks to Howie, our weather stations are more robust than cussed. Howie is always available to answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and fix our broken equipment. Howie has been the backbone of our weather station network since the beginning. Thanks, Howie.

Adam Clark and Ted Steiner with  Snowslip/BNSF Avalanche Safety. Adam and Ted have logged countless hours installing and maintaining FAC weather stations. That is in addition to all of their weather stations in John F. Stevens Canyon that we rely on. Aside from helping with weather stations, they continuously send in vital snowpack, weather, and avalanche information weekly. Thank you, guys.

This is my last forecast for the 2025-26 season. Thank you all for the observations and tuning in this year. Have a safe and enjoyable summer, and we will see you next season!                 

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