Skip to main content
Flathead Avalanche Center
Responsive Links
Advisories
Observations
Donate
Forecasts
Avalanche Forecasts
Whitefish Range
Swan Range
Flathead Range and Glacier N. P.
Archives
Sign up for emailed forecasts
Tutorials
How to read the Forecast
Avalanche Problems
The Danger Scale
Observations
Observations
Field Observations
Observations prior to Oct.1 2022
Incidents
Snowpack Tracker
Submit Observation
Weather
Western MT Backcountry Weather Forecast
Weather Station Table
Weather Station Map
Education
Classes and Events
Course List
Event Calendar
Class Details and Registration
Northern Rockies Snow & Avy Workshop
Mentorship
Videos
Throttle Decisions Video Series
Local Awareness Videos
Online Resources
Avalanche Encyclopedia
Avalanche Canada tutorial
Know Before You Go Online Course
Backcountry Ascender - Motorized Specific
BCA Tutorial
FOFAC Recorded Classes
About
Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center
FOFAC
How To Help
Sponsors
Donate
Flathead Avalanche Center
Blog
Staff
Contact
Annual Reports
Donate
Atypical wind slabs on Stanton
Location Name:
Forecaster Observation - Mt. Stanton, GNP
Observation date:
Friday, April 6, 2018 - 20:00
Is this an Avalanche Observation:
Yes
Observation made by:
Forecaster
Tabs
Quick Observation
Last night's northeasterly winds formed reactive drifts up to 10" thick at higher elevations. These were localized to near ridgelines and cross-loaded ribs and easy to indentify via thicker/denser feeling pillows. We skier triggered several small pockets and observed a couple fresh naturals. One skier triggered slab ran 2400' entraining loose snow along the way.
Winds added enough cohesion to the snow surface to minimize sluffing where we traveled.
We got two startling collapses near the summit ridgeline. These appeared to be where fresh wind loading overlapped with a collapsible crust on crust sandwich, on southerly aspects.
No signs of instability in wind protected terrain. There is 3" to 8" of recent snow over older crust layers at mid an upper elevations. Low elevations are consolidating into a surface crust.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Videos:
April 6, 2018. Atypical wind slabs on Stanton
Video of April 6, 2018. Atypical wind slabs on Stanton
Travel Details
Region:
Glacier National Park - McDonald Lake Area
Route Description:
Mt Stanton to 7750 ft
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details:
Terrain
Elevation of observation:
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation:
S
SW
W
NW
Red Flags:
Shooting cracks
Collapsing / whumpfing noises
Persistent Weak Layers:
Buried
New Snow in the past 24 hours:
1.00in.
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details:
Date and Time of Avalanche:
Friday, April 6, 2018 - 12:00
Avalanche Type:
Soft Slab
Failure Plane/Weak Layer:
Within storm snow
More information or comments about the avalanche:
2 naturals and a handful of skier triggered wind slabs on S/W'erly aspects
Trigger
Trigger:
skier
Trigger Modifier:
Intentionally Triggered
Terrain
Aspect:
Southwest
Starting Elevation:
above-treeline
Size
Destructive Size:
D1 Relatively harmless to people.
Relative Size:
R1 Very Small
Crown Height:
Less than 1 ft
Avalanche Location:
Javascript is required to view this map.
