Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Flathead, Lizard, Lizard-Flathead.
Storm slabs formed a few days ago and remain possible to trigger.
A warm, wet storm will arrive on Sunday evening and elevate danger.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Several natural and artificially triggered size 1 to 2 storm slab avalanches have occurred daily since Thursday.
With ongoing flurries, these slabs remain possible for human triggering.
Snowpack Summary
20 to 30 cm of recent snow and southwest wind have formed storm slabs. 60 cm of snow sits on a melt-freeze crust, except on high-elevation north and east-facing slopes.
A surface hoar or facet layer from late January is buried 100 to 150 cm deep on north and east aspects at treeline and above. This may re-emerge as a persistent slab problem with warming this week.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with 1 to 2 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow in the afternoon. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Monday
Snow transitioning to rain with 5 to 15 mm. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +1 °C. Freezing level rising to 2400 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy with 5 to 15 mm of rain then partly clearing skies in the afternoon. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +6 °C. Freezing level rising to 2700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Cautiously approach steep slopes that are open or sparsely treed.
- Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
- Use small, low consequence slopes to test the bond of the new snow.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
20 to 30 cm of snow from the past few days has formed slabs that are most reactive on steep, wind-affected slopes.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2