Bulletin d’avalanche

Flathead Range & Glacier NP

Flathead Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Sun
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 5 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

Naughty and nice. Several inches of new snow will improve the riding while adding fuel to the wind slab fire. Thin new slabs will develop on top of the stack of old ones formed over the past few days. A wind shift forms slabs on westerly aspects and bitterly cold temperatures in areas near the Divide. Keep the plan simple and give your loved ones the gift of returning home safely.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    2–3

    It seems as though Santa can't quite make up his mind about our area this Christmas. We woke up to oranges - several inches of snow in many mountain locations but also found coal - winds that shifted or will shift to the north or east tonight. If you plan to recreate in southern Glacier Park or the eastern Flathead Range, expect to find fresh slabs on atypical aspects along with bitterly cold temperatures. Most other locations won't see the wind shift and temperatures drop until overnight. Expect new slabs to form on top of this week's slabs in these areas. Look for blowing snow as you gain elevation. On slopes where slabs are sitting on softer snow, you may feel a hollow sound beneath you. Areas sheltered from the wind will generally offer a safer, more enjoyable experience.

    (12/24/2021)

    Recent natural cornice fall near Mt Aeneas.

    Photo: Dundas

Avalanche Discussion

New snow amounts fell below forecasted totals overnight. Favored locations include Tunnel Ridge in the Middle Fork corridor, with 8 inches of new snow, and Flattop Mountain in central Glacier Park, with nearly an inch of water. WMR picked up several inches while the northern Whitefish and the Swan Range received a measly inch or two. Several additional inches of snow is forecast for today at most locations, along with the continued wind.

In the Whitefish and Swan Ranges, we keep wind slab as our main avalanche problem as westerly winds continue to transport snow onto easterly aspects. In the majority of the Flathead Range, we are expecting continued wind slab formation on typical leeward aspects, albeit a little thicker and more widespread due to both more new snow and alpine terrain exposed to the wind. It is different for interior Glacier Park, southern Glacier Park, and the eastern Flathead Range (Skyland area). Arctic air arrived at Marias Pass early Friday morning and has slowly made its way west of Essex. This has resulted in bitterly cold air temperatures and moderate easterly winds. These atypical winds transport soft surface snow onto westerly aspects and form fresh slabs. If you head towards the Divide, keep your plan simple and short. Dealing with a simple gear issue in these conditions can turn into an ordeal with serious consequences.

Check out the conditions blog for our weekly summary. Each Friday throughout the season, we will post a text and video summarizing the week's snow, weather, and avalanche conditions.

Régions couvertes