A couple inches of fresh snow may be enough to form new hazards and surprise you if you've been riding consequential terrain the last few days. Don’t let shallow sluffs or wind slabs catch you off guard near terrain traps or in extreme terrain.
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Above 6500 ft.
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5000-6500 ft.
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3500-5000 ft.
Mid and upper elevation terrain picked up 2" to 3" of new snow last night. As the sun moistens the fresh snow today, expect clumps of wet snow to roll down steep slopes. The rollerballs may coalesce, gain volume, and turn into small, loose avalanches, particularly in confined terrain like gullies. They could be a hazard if they knock you over in extreme terrain, or push you into rocks or trees. Monitor the snow surface for quickly changing conditions and be ready to move towards less consequential terrain or colder aspects if sluffs become large enough to push you around.
A period of gusty northwesterly winds accompanied last night's snowfall. You might find fresh slabs of wind-blown snow just below ridgelines or in steep chutes where drifting snow tends to accumulate. These should be relatively harmless: less than 6" thick and soft. They might, however, catch you by surprise if you are riding in extreme or consequential terrain. Steer away from cracking or fresh drifts if you are riding somewhere that you can't afford to get knocked off your feet by a thin wind slab.
Mountain stations are showing 2" to 3" of new snow across our forecast area last night. The snowfall was hit-or-miss, though it did favor the Whitefish Range and Glacier Park. We expect very shallow instabilities within the new snow. By themselves, small sluffs or very thin wind slabs aren't dangerous - the avalanche danger remains LOW nudging closer to MODERATE. But pair these shallow instabilities with the aggressive terrain choices we've observed in the past few days and this is a good recipe for someone to trigger a small avalanche that could have big consequences. Don't become complacent with the sea of green. Low danger means small hazards exist in isolated areas.
Below the new snow, you'll find a strong and generally stable snowpack that has shown few signs of slab instabilities in the past 5 days. The new snow accumulated on a mix of melt-freeze crusts, wind hardened surfaces, and near-surface facets.
Last night’s quick-hitting system has moved on, leaving clearing skies and light winds in its wake. Today will bring sunny skies and seasonal temperatures cooler than yesterday. Snow lovers, stay tuned. Monday is a transition day ahead of a snowier pattern through the rest of the week.
| Sunday | Sunday Night | Monday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Cover: | Mostly Clear | Mostly Cloudy | Mostly Cloudy |
| Temperatures: | 31 to 36 deg. F. | 21 to 26 deg. F. | 31 to 38 deg. F. |
| Wind Direction: | West | Southwest | Southwest |
| Wind Speed: | 0 to 10, G20 | 5 to 15, G25 | 5 to 15, G30 |
| Snowfall: | 0" in. | 0" in. | 0" to 1" in. |
| Snow Line: | 2500' | 3000' | 4000' |
This forecast applies only to backcountry areas outside established ski area boundaries. The forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur. This forecast expires at midnight on the posted day unless otherwise noted. The information in this forecast is provided by the USDA Forest Service who is solely responsible for its content.
