Avalanche forecast

Bitterroot

West Central Montana Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Skiers are riders could trigger a slab avalanche 1-3 feet deep on facets around buried crusts. Wet loose avalanches are possible today with warming temperatures and sun. If you experience collapsing, step back to slopes under 30 degrees. If you see rollerballs or point releases, wet loose avalanches may follow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Warming temperatures and light winds may lead to wet loose avalanches today. The April sun has the potential to rapidly tip the snowpack to wet. Intermittent cloud cover should help to moderate these conditions. Usually, this time of year, we have a springtime snowpack with a melt-freeze layer at the surface. This spring is an anomaly with our dry winter snowpack into April. It will not take much sun or warming to create wet loose avalanches in the current snowpack. 

    Rollerballs and point releases are indicators that the snow is losing strength, and wet snow avalanches are likely to follow. You can avoid wet loose danger by moving to shadier slopes or slope angles under 30 degrees. 

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    A crust with facets above it is buried 1-3 feet down across the forecast zone. 

    This weak layer can primarily be found on aspects that formed a sun crust prior to the last storm. The higher sun angle this time of year can form sun crusts even on north aspects or slopes that were hidden from the sun just a month ago. 

    Any wind slab from last night will likely fail down on the persistent weak layer rather than at the interface. There is unlikely to be widespread wind slab, but today, wind slab is lumped in with persistent slab due to the layer it could fail on.

    Dig into the snow and be suspicious of any crust buried. If you experience collapsing or whumfing, stick to terrain under 30 degrees.  

    (4/3/2023) Photo: Arden Feldman

Avalanche Discussion

April is normally a time of low hazard and opportunity to move into large terrain. This season is an anomaly across the west as winter conditions have continued into April. The current snowpack across west-central Montana is still a winter snowpack with buried persistent weak layers. The good news is that with warmer temperatures to come, these problems will not last long. 

The best way to identify buried persistent weak layers is to dig in the snow where you are looking to ski or ride. While stability tests can be useful to identify unstable snow, they should never be used as justification to ski a line. If you encounter buried crusts and poor structure in your snowpits, or find red flags like collapsing or recent avalanches, the best management strategy is to step back to lower angle slopes.  

Respect any ski resort closures as they begin to close for the season. If you are skiing or riding within the boundary of closed ski areas, recognize that they are no longer doing avalanche mitigation within their boundaries, and you are essentially traveling in the backcountry.

If you are out skiing and riding, please submit an observation of what you are seeing. We rely heavily on public observations to provide the best forecast product possible. 

Ski and ride safe.

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