Avalanche forecast

Silver Valley & Bitterroot Mountains

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

It is easy to trigger a loose dry avalanche with the 3 or so inches of snow we have sitting on top of our 1/12 ice crust.  This snow was also pushed around this week with winds from several different directions leaving sensitive wind slabs on multiple aspects.  At the higher elevations, the surface conditions are either wind scoured down to sheer ice, or wind slab over a slippery ice surface.  Either way, not very enticing.  Still the biggest problem is injury: if you take a fall on the ice crust you are going to slide a long way.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Winds shifted directions this week, so there are wind slabs from the West to the East on our ridgelines.  In lots of areas, we had a layer of surface hoar that was preserved under a light dusting of snow.  The wind slabs formed on top of this layer after the winds shifted and we were getting wind slabs breaking very easily on buried surface hoar.  Watch for cracking and whumphing as you travel and look for pillowy, chalky snow that is hollow.  

    Wind slab cracking in St. Regis Basin.

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1

    A slippery ice surface, with only 3" of snow on top and surface hoar in a lot of places means that it is very easy to trigger a dry loose slide.  And while these aren't going to have a lot of snow with them, if you do get knocked off your feet you will take a ride to whatever location this snow decides to slide to because stopping on the ice when you lose an edge isn't possible. These were very easy to trigger with ski cuts yesterday.

    Loose Dry avalanches started from ski cuts in St. Regis Basin.

Avalanche Discussion

Well, I'm here to report that the riding and sliding conditions have not improved.  The 3" or so of surface snow on top looks fluffy and inviting in the flats, but as soon as you are on something of an angle you are down to ice.  At the higher elevations you are traveling across either sheer ice where the wind has scoured all the snow away or on a wind slab where that snow has been deposited on top of the ice layer.  There is surface hoar buried under an inch or so of snow or directly on top of the ice crust most everywhere.  This week's weather looks to be adding only a couple of inches of snow at a time to the snowpack. Which isn't going to improve riding conditions a ton quickly, but it will help with stability and it will give the thin layers time to settle and bond.  A larger storm hitting right now could cause a natural avalanche cycle with the surface conditions we currently have. It is worth mentioning that there are still buried persistent weak layers down below the 1/12 ice crust, but the probability of triggering one of these with the bridging ice is very low.  

For a third week in a row, the bigger danger out there is getting injured on the ice. It is a slippery surface that is very hard to hold an edge in on steeper terrain on skis or snowboards.  And if you do make it to steeper terrain, you are going to start dry, loose slides with each turn, meaning that it will be down to ice crust to ski.  Mmmm, pleasant.  

Have a great weekend. And good news, we are extending the observation contest into February!  Here's hoping we get some more snow so you can get out and make observations!

 

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