Avalanche Forecast
Lizard Range and Flathead
Light amounts of new snow and strong winds on Tuesday night and Wednesday will continue to build slabs particularly at upper elevations. Also be wary of what's above you, cornices are touchy.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing, or cracking on small slopes.
- Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain, and avoid slopes below cornices.
Avalanche Summary
Tuesday morning a size 2.5 natural storm slab, likely triggered by a cornice collapse, was reported on a northerly aspect in the alpine.
Numerous wind slabs up to size 2 and loose dry avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported from the Lizard Range on Monday running either naturally or triggered by skiers testing small slopes. Explosives triggered widespread storm slabs up to size 1.5 and size 2 results on northerly aspects. Crown depths typically ranged from 40-80 cm.
Snowpack Summary
New wind slabs are building as approximately 40 cm of light dry snow has fallen in recent days and is being moved around by moderate to strong westerly winds. This storm snow overlies various old surfaces including old hard wind slabs, crusts, facets and spotty surface hoar (for example February 14 surface hoar is now 50 to 80 cm below the surface).
Deeper in the snowpack, the widespread mid-December weak layer sits about 200 cm deep. This consists of a crust, facets or surface hoar.
Near the base of the snowpack, a crust/facet layer could be awoken from a thin-spot trigger point, or with a very large load like a cornice fall.
Weather Forecast
TONIGHT: Flurries. Accumulation 5-10 cm. Ridge wind moderate to strong, southwest. Temperature near -10. Freezing level lowering to valley bottom.
WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind moderate, southwest. Temperature near -4. Freezing level rising to 1000 m.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy, flurries heaviest overnight Thursday. Accumulation up to 5 cm. Ridge wind moderate, southwest easing on Friday. Temperature high near 0, low near -4. Freezing level rising to 1500 m on Thursday.
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Touchy wind slabs can be found downwind of ridges, ribs, and cross-loaded features. In sheltered areas protected from the wind (where the best riding can be found) soft storm slabs on steeper slopes and rolls may be a concern.