Powdered sugar on top

We went to the Flathead Range to look for recent avalanches, check on the new storm snow, and monitor the snowpack near the Tunnel Ridge weather station.

• We did not see evidence of recent avalanches in the small drainage where we traveled. However, we saw several natural avalanches in east-facing chutes that likely ran last night thanks to rain and warm temperatures. These appeared to be loose wet slides. Despite good visibility we couldn’t see any crowns.
• We traveled on very low-angled terrain and experienced no shooting cracks or collapsing.
• 4 to 6 inches of new snow that fell this morning was cold, dry, and loose on the surface. Under that, a crust that formed as rain soaked snow began to freeze was strengthening throughout the day as temperatures dropped above 5000 feet elevation. The snowpack was wet to moist down a foot or more under the crust at lower elevations (less deeply the higher we got). Our skis often punched through the crust and wet snow to softer dry snow underneath. Runnels at lower elevations were further evidence of recent rain on snow.
• We were really surprised at how clam it was. We saw no blowing snow. There was only a dusting of new this afternoon.

We limited ourselves to low-angled slopes without overhead hazards before heading out the door and were rewarded with great, safe powder for sledding and skiing.