Happy June-uary! As the sun comes out in the mountains today, look for wet surface instabilities like rollerballs and small sluffs. The snow in steep, rocky terrain will warm the most.  Watch out for cornices falling from overhead.  A report of shooting cracks yesterday in the Swan Range is a good example of why we are still concerned about persistent slabs.  Use caution on steep slopes, convexities, and in rocky terrain.

Happy June-uary! As the sun comes out in the mountains today, look for wet surface instabilities like rollerballs and small sluffs. The snow in steep, rocky terrain will warm the most.  Watch out for cornices falling from overhead.  We are still concerned about weak layers buried under thick slabs.  Use caution on steep slopes, convexities, and in rocky terrain.

Aww crud! After a poor refreeze overnight, the mountains will get another few inches of dense, heavy snow today.  It will be possible to trigger small moist sluffs in steep terrain as the day warms.  Look for rollerballs and small sluffs as the primary signs of surface instability. Be wary of cornices teetering overhead.  Deep weak layers are still a concern, especially in complex, rocky, alpine terrain in the Northern Whitefish Range, the Flathead Range, and Glacier Park.

Spoiler alert! Yesterday's fluffy powder just got capped by a few inches of moist, heavy snow and warming temperatures.  Shallow sluffs and thin slabs will be common. Stay heads up around terrain traps and long-running gullies at all elevations.  Deep weak layers continue to make noise, particularly in alpine terrain in the Flathead Range and Glacier Park.

Spoiler alert! Yesterday's fluffy powder just got capped by a few inches of moist, heavy snow and warming temperatures.  Shallow sluffs and thin slabs will be common. Stay heads up around terrain traps and long-running gullies at all elevations.  Deep weak layers continue to make noise, particularly in alpine terrain in the Flathead Range and Glacier Park.

Yesterday's storm brought an uptick in avalanche activity. With calm weather today, natural avalanches are unlikely, but human-triggered avalanches are a concern.  These could break in the new and wind-drifted snow or on deeper weak layers.  Travel conservatively in alpine terrain where fresh slabs are larger and persistent slabs have been more active.

Snow and wind will continue to increase the hazard through the day, forming slabs in the upper snowpack.  These will increase in size and distribution as you gain elevation. Monitor new snow totals and reactivity of fresh slabs.  A remotely triggered 4 foot slab yesterday confirms that buried weak snow is capable of producing a large avalanche.  Select planar or concave terrain with a consistent snow depth to avoid this problem and be wary of overhead hazards. 

Snow and wind will continue to increase the hazard through the day, forming easily triggered slabs in the upper snowpack.  These will increase in size and distribution as you gain elevation.  Monitor new snow totals and reactivity of fresh slabs.  A remotely triggered 4 foot slab yesterday confirms that buried weak snow is capable of producing a large avalanche.  Select planar or concave terrain with a consistent snow depth to avoid this problem and be wary of overhead hazards. 

Expect rising hazard at upper elevations. Strong southwest winds and light snow will form thin slabs on leeward slopes beneath ridgelines and areas exposed to cross-loading. Be cognizant of blowing snow and fresh drifts as you gain elevation.  Steep rocky slopes with a variable snow depth remain capable of producing a large avalanche. Select planar or concave terrain with a consistent snow depth to avoid this problem. 

Recently-formed slabs of drifted snow continue to pose a hazard on leeward slopes near ridgelines and on open slopes exposed to cross-loading. In this terrain, pick your way around start zones with signs of recent drifting, like cornices. Large avalanches that break in old snow remain a concern on steep slopes with variable snow depths. The unpredictibility of this hazard makes avoiding this terrain the most straightforward way to reduce your exposure. 

Recently-formed slabs of drifted snow continue to pose a hazard on leeward slopes near ridgelines and on open slopes exposed to cross-loading. In this terrain, pick your way around start zones with signs of recent drifting, like cornices. Large avalanches that break in old snow remain a concern on steep slopes with variable snow depths. The unpredictibility of this hazard makes avoiding this terrain the most straightforward way to reduce your exposure. 

Today's go-to terrain is sheltered, mid-elevation slopes. That's terrain where you're least likely to encounter today's primary avalanche problem: freshly-formed wind slabs on leeward and cross-loaded slopes at upper elevations. And where you're least likely to stumble onto one of the few spots where you can still trigger a large, Persistent Slab avalanche. Step back to lower-angled slopes if you see or feel cracks shooting away from you or whumpfing collapses; these are clear signs of today's avalanche concerns.

Blowin’ and snowin’…  Wind and new precipitation today will again cause drifting onto leeward aspects.  You may be able to trigger fresh winds slabs as drifted snow accumulates below ridgelines and on crossloaded features.  We are still concerned that a triggered wind slab avalanche could step down into buried weak layers and cause a larger, more destructive slide.  Carefully evaluate terrain with newly drifted snow at middle and upper elevations, especially on slopes harboring persistent weak layers.

Blowin’ and snowin’…  Wind and new precipitation today will again cause drifting onto leeward aspects.  You may be able to trigger fresh winds slabs as drifted snow accumulates below ridgelines and on crossloaded features.  We are still concerned that a triggered wind slab avalanche could step down into buried weak layers and cause a larger, more destructive slide.  Carefully evaluate terrain with newly drifted snow at middle and upper elevations, especially on slopes harboring persistent weak layers.