There is plenty of snow at upper elevations (above 5500 feet) now which means that avalanches should absolutely be on your radar. Human triggered avalanches have already been reported in other parts of the state and around the west. Sunday through Monday night produced about a foot of new snow in the Whitefish Range (and almost an inch of snow water equivalence) above 6500 feet, 5 inches at Noisy Basin in the Swan Range, and 2-4 inches in the Flathead Range and southern Glacier NP. This new snow combined with winds from, first, the southwest and, now, the northeast means you'll probably find wind slabs on most aspects. Look for obvious signs of instability like cracking, collapsing, whumpfing, and recent avalanche activity. I went to take a look at the amount of snow last Friday on Great Northern Mountain in the Flathead Range. Above 6000 feet, I found pillows of wind drifted snow up to three feet deep in some gullies. This was before this most recent storm so wind loaded areas are likely deeper and more sensitive now. 

If there is enough snow to ride or ski then there is enough snow to avalanche. Hunters and climbers should also be aware of changing condtions during the early season as you venture higher into the mountains. Two hunters were recently caught in an avalanche near Bozeman illustrating that avalanche don't care if your skiing, snowmobiling, climbing, or hunting. 

It's also a good idea to start brushing away the cobwebs in the part of your brain that thinks about avalanches, and attend one of the upcoming classes this fall. Check here for a calendar. Our first avalanche awareness class is this Thursday, November 12 at 6:30 pm at Sportsman & Ski Haus in Kalispell. Many of these classes are hosted by local shops and retailers, and we appreciate their support in helping educate backcountry users. 

While you are dreaming about powder-filled slopes you might also check out the online tutorials under the Education tab. There are a number of resources from the National Avalanche Center and the American Avalanche Association. There is also a great tutorial from Avalanche Canada as well as their Throttle Decisions video series. 

Also, look for upcoming information on the Snowball from the Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center (FOFAC). If you are out in the mountains, let us know what you are seeing. How much snow is on the ground? Where was the rain/snow line this past weekend? How were the ice conditions? All of it helps. You can drop us a line at [email protected], call us at 406.387.3821, or submit an observation.

We are not issuing advisories with avalanche hazard ratings yet. This is dependent on snowfall and the amount of data we collect and receive. We will continue to update the site as conditions warrant and change.