Avalanche forecast

Flathead

Mar 5 – 6, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

A reactive persistent weak layer remains the primary concern for the region - especially around treeline.

Retreat to more conservative terrain if you see signs of instability.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent snow and wind may have built small wind slabs near ridgetops and on lee and crossloaded features at upper elevations. Wind slabs could step down to deeper weak layers.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1.5–3

    Be aware of the potential for remote triggering and large avalanches due to buried surface hoar, especially around steep openings in the forest or cutblocks.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
  • Start on smaller terrain features and gather information before committing to bigger terrain.
  • Be aware of the potential for remote triggering and large avalanches due to buried surface hoar.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We have higher uncertainty about treeline conditions due to persistent slabs.
  • We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

Tuesday
The field team experienced whumpfing and shooting cracks in the Flathead.

Monday
A skier triggered a size 1 persistent slab 50 cm deep. Wet loose sluffs were observed on sunny slopes.

Sunday
Explosives triggered several persistent slab avalanches, mainly at treeline, 40 to 70 cm deep.

Saturday
Skiers remotely triggered a size 1.5 persistent slab from 30 m.

Snowpack Summary

Small new wind slabs may have formed in lee areas near ridgetops. Around 5 cm of recent snow is covering previously wind-affected surfaces. Solar aspects and most areas at treeline and below have a surface crust.

Multiple weak layers of surface hoar and/or crust–facet combinations may be present within the upper meter of the snowpack. The most reactive layer, formed in late January, is buried 40–90 cm deep. Recent avalanches have primarily failed on this surface hoar layer, particularly in steep, sheltered terrain at treeline and below.

While this layer has shown reduced reactivity near the ski hill and in the Lizard Range, riders are still sporadically triggering it across the forecast area.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 3 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Friday
Mostly sunny. 1 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing level 1800 m.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 5 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1°C. Freezing level 2200 m.



More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

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