Selkirk Mountains

Low temperatures overnight struggled to drop much below freezing, but clear skies likely contributed to a decent surface refreeze. This may slow down today’s surface warming, but the warm-up is inevitable as high temperatures climb into the 40s F under sunny skies followed by increasing clouds. Once the snow surface softens, and becomes wet and punchy, the snow will be more prone to sliding downhill from human or machine disturbance. Rollerballs suggest the snow is getting too wet and it’s time to move higher in elevation or call it a day. Stubborn wind slabs may linger above the treeline and triggering a deeper drift could grow large enough to push you around.

Recreating and accessing snow at lower elevations has become increasingly difficult as the snowpack continues to shrink, with many slopes below 4,000 feet having melted out. If you do find enough snow to travel or play on there, be especially cautious in gullies or above terrain traps, where even a small avalanche could funnel you into a bad spot and pile up quickly. As you move between 5,000 and 6,000 feet, expect to encounter another transition - springlike, wet snow will give way to colder, drier snow sitting atop a firm crust. Be mindful that the flavor and size of avalanche problems also transitions with elevation gain or loss. 

Wind-drifted slabs may still linger at higher elevations, but are trending to a more isolated concern with each passing day. Cold, clear nights can also promote softening of the snow surface on high, north aspects helping the snow become more cohesionless. This could increase the chance to kick into motion fast-moving dry sluffs in steeper terrain. If you provoke a cohesionless sluff above the firm, March 28 crust, they have potential to travel long distances and entrain additional snow along the way. Look and evaluate before you leap into more complex or extreme terrain.

Spring weather can contribute to rapid and sometimes dramatic changes in conditions. Warm, sunny days with light winds, like today, could reintroduce meltwater to weaker layers below and help soften refrozen crust, and push wet snow hazards deeper into the snowpack. The rate of softening is often exacerbated by the sun, which gets progressively higher in the sky with each passing day. Gauge the rate of each day’s freeze-thaw cycle by how punchy or rotten surfaces get to stay ahead of the warming game. Slopes where you see large glide cracks, give an extra wide buffer or simply go around. Additional meltwater can push these slopes closer to failure and the timing of glide avalanches is notoriously unpredictable.

In some ways, a spring snowpack can be easier to understand because temperature and solar radiation are key drivers of change. How firm or soft surfaces are at the beginning of your mountain adventure often provides valuable insight into when and where conditions may become dangerous, if at all. Monitor how overall conditions change from start to finish, and avoid high-consequence terrain when stability is in question. Small slides in steep, committing terrain can have serious consequences, so continue to make cautious, well-timed decisions as the season transitions.

**Eastern Oregon University is conducting a survey to better understand avalanche safety preparedness among motorized backcountry users. The survey will help us learn more about who is purchasing, and practicing with avalanche rescue gear (beacon, probe, shovel) and participating in avalanche education—and why some riders are not. The survey is confidential and anonymous. Your feedback is invaluable to improve avalanche education and awareness across North Idaho and Northwestern Montana. Please take a moment to share your experience and help your local avalanche community. You can take the survey HERE.**