Sunday nights storm dropped 12-18" of snow on the Cabinet Mountains. This new snow formed sensitive storm slabs that will be reactive in steep terrain, give the new snow time to settle and strengthen before venturing into steep terrain this week. In the Purcells the "persistent slab" problem continues to lurk, it is a low-likelihood/high consequence scenario. Practice safe travel habits and use caution in likely "trigger spots" such as steep, convex rolls and areas where the snowpack is thin.

Heavy snow and high winds will create wind and storm slabs on a dense snow pack with increasing avalanche hazard.  The overall hazard rating is considerable for the Selkirk and Cabinets.  

With just enough snow and wind yesterday, wind slabs will be our main concern today and through the weekend.  Pay attention to our traditional start zones on the N-NE-E aspects as they will be sensitive. Also, our couple of problem layers keep getting buried a little deeper each storm, but it is important to keep those in mind as we get further into the new year.  Pay attention to your terrain choices and watch for signs of instability.

Happy New Year everyone!  Looks like we have a beautiful day today for sliding in the mountains with a little fresh snow to touch things up.  Just remember, even though it's a new year and conditions are good, accidents can still happen.  The bottom line is we have some wind slabs on easterly aspects and a couple deeper weak layers to keep in mind.  Pay attention to your terrain choices and watch for signs of instability.

The most recent storm has created wind slabs on north-easterly facing terrain at treeline and above. Avoid steep terrrain on these aspects near ridge-lines and pay attention to gullies that may be "cross-loaded" in steep, open terrain. The recent loading has also caused the persistent weak layers to become more reactive in areas where the snowpack is thin and weak. Use caution in areas where the snow is thin and pay attention to collapsing and cracking snow as you travel.  

The colder air temperature and minimal winds from the past couple days has kept the snow surface nice and fluffy! Even though the weather has been pretty stable, we're still seeing changes happen in the snowpack.  Current snow conditions (thick stiff slab of snow with light new snow on top) are making backcountry travel a little easier right now, so don't be tempted to travel in places your gut is telling you to stay off of.  

Generally stable snowpack conditions exist below treeline. Above treeline there are still persistent weak-layers within the snowpack, the Purcell Mountains are where you are most likely to find these weak layers. Human triggered avalanches are not likely; but, will be large and have high consequences if triggered. Moving forward into the weekend there is the potential for stability to decline if the next predicted storm materializes. Continue to practice safe travel habits and keep an eye on the weather.

Merry Christmas backcountry friends! If you get out today to enjoy the backcountry, you may be greeted by sunshine and nice sliding conditions! Even though we'll have a break in the weather for the next 30 hours or so,  don't let your guard down! Remember: Persistant weak layers don't care that it's Christmas!  Don't let the avalanche grinch steal your fun today!

Generally stable snowpack conditions exist below treeline. Above treeline there are still persistent weak-layers within the snowpack, the Purcell Mountains are where you are most likely to find these weak layers. Human triggered avalanches are not likely; but, will be large and have high consequences if triggered. Moving forward into the weekend there is the potential for stability to decline if the next predicted storm materializes. Continue to practice safe travel habits and keep an eye on the weather.

Overnight another round of snow has added loading to a pack that was still adjusting from the storms earlier in the week.  With winds in the 40's last night, expect to see widespread wind slabs on the leeward slopes and cross loaded gullies.  There is still a persistent weak layer in many locations; it was active in pit tests yesterday.  Assess each location you plan on riding or sliding to see how reactive this layer is. 

The warm temperatures over the past couple days have helped the snowpack heal up quite a bit, especially at the mid and low elevations. There are still several lurking dragons buried at our upper elevations to be aware of.  Expect the avalanche danger to increase as this new storm arriving deposits a large amount of heavy, warm snow accompanied by strong winds.  Avoid riding on or below slopes steeper than 30 degrees until this snow has had time to adjust. 

A subtropical storm will push through the forecast area on Tuesday and Wednesday bringing heavy mountain snow and strong southwesterly winds. This will create thick and reactive storms slabs to build above 4,500'. Expect avalanche danger to rise as this storm materializes.  Avoid riding on or below slopes steeper than 30° until this snow has had time to settle.

Fresh storm snow and strong southwest winds have created slabs on leeward slopes in high alpine terrain. Below tree line be alert to the possibility to trigger storm slabs in areas where this weeks storm snow is overlying a layer of buried surface hoar. Pay attention to changes as strong winds and additional snow are forecast Friday night into Saturday morning.

IPAC will begin issuing regularly scheduled avalanche forecasts beginning this Friday, December 14th.  Forecasts will be posted twice a week, Tuesday and Fridays.  You can get forecast information here, the IPAC facebook page, and our phone hotline at 208 765-7323.   As usual, we are interested in hearing what you are seeing out there.  Please help us make the forecast better by posting relevant info on our observations page. 

IPAC will begin issuing regularly scheduled avalanche forecasts beginning this Friday, December 14th.  Forecasts will be posted twice a week, Tuesday and Fridays.  You can get forecast information here, the IPAC facebook page, and our phone hotline at 208 765-7323.   As usual, we are interested in hearing what you are seeing out there.  Please help us make the forecast better by posting relevant info on our observations page. 

IPAC will begin issuing regularly scheduled avalanche forecasts beginning this Friday, December 14th.  Forecasts will occur twice a week with days on Fridays and Tuesdays.  You can get forecsat information here, the IPAC facebook page, and our phone hotline at 208 765-7323.  

Continuing with our April snow showers theme through Friday, we recieved 2 to 7" of snow in the last 24 hours at the high elevations.  This came in warm yesterday and had good bonding to the crusts underneath, but expect wind slabs at the ridgelines from the cooler snow that came in overnight.  Cold overnight temperatures helped improve the stability due to wet slide potential, but watch for it to increase as daytime temperatures go above freezing again this weekend.

April SNOW showers! Wind slabs continue to be the main concern at the higher elevation ridges.  The new snow that we've been getting has been accompanied by transport speed winds. The small storms with winds trend will continue this week, creating layered wind slabs.  Look for signs of windloading in the areas you are travelling.  

Put away your tennis rackets and mountain bikes. Winter is still here! The Selkirk and Cabinet mountains got a refresh of snow over the past 48 hours. Between 6-13'' fell above 4500'.  Most areas are showing winds were out of the S-SW-W.  Snow densities were low so expect to see snow on the move. Any leeward slope should be looked at with heightened concern.  The snow surface under the new snow is frozen and firm, making a good slide surface.

The mountains have not picked up an appreciable amount of new snow since last week and the mild weather has settled the pack nicely.  Diurnal temperatures are creating a breakable crust at the surface on all aspects.  The north aspect has some layers in last weeks snow but not too concerning.  Watch windloaded areas, mainly N and E, in steep terrain where windslabs could fail.

It continues to still be winter up in the mountains! We have another storm hitting with 4 - 8 inches through tomorrow.  Accompanying that storm is sustained winds in the upper 20 mph range and gusts in the 40's.  Expect to find windloading on the leeward ridgetops and cross loading in open areas.  In the lower elevations where there is rain predicted with the storm, expect to see loose wet slides as the snowpack absorbs the rain.  

Strong southwesterly winds and new snow will continue to build windslabs today. Expect to find windslabs on steep, leeward terrain at the upper elevations and in "cross-loaded" gullies where the wind has depostited the new snow. The most recent weather system is forecasted to bring rain to western Montana below 5,000' today, this will create perfect conditions for "loose-wet" avalanches through out the day Tuesday below treeline. 

The buried surface hoar layers from the past two weeks are starting to become active with the new, heavy loading we are getting.  Watch the temperatures and keep an eye out for rollerballs; the potential for wet slides will increase throughout the day as the temperatures goes above freezing at lower elevations or the sun peaks through. Also watch for isolated pockets of windslabs that formed late last night and expect more to form throughout the weekend.

Cold temperatures have locked the upper snowpack together following Thursdays' warm and wet weather. Generally stable snowpack conditions will exist on Friday with the potential to find isolated pockets of wind slab at upper elevations on leeward terrain. Expect windslabs and stormslabs to increase in size and sensitivity going into the weekend.

 Sunday night, a quick moving storm left 9-11'' of snow above 4500'. The snow fell on a firm frozen surface, giving it a nice plane to slide on.  As the new snow settles, it will become a stiffer slab and potentially produce larger avalanches. If temperatures rise in the next couple days (as they're forecasted to do), be aware of a increasing avalanche danger.  Wet slab avalanches are likely. Spring snowpack is here! Get it while it's frozen!

Spring skiing and spring avalanche problems? Visit the SW -S- SE solar aspects. Heads up for roller balls, pinwheels, cornice falls, and natural wet slides as the day warms up to indicate the instability is rising.  Winter skiing and winter avalanche problems? Visit the NE - N - NW aspects. Heads up for lingering windslabs and always be checking for the persistent weak layers.  

Consolidated snowpack with firm sun and raincrust with 1 inch of heavy snow on the surface.  Watch for cornice releases which have been the triggers for recent avalanches.  

The snowpack is going through a big change right now.  Spring is here...at least for a couple days. The warm temperatures have decreased the stability in the upper portions of the snowpack. We'll hit the climax of this warm weather today (possibly 50 degrees at 5000').  Natural avalanches will be possible today and human triggered avalanches likely. Make wise travel choices today and stay away from solar aspects especially under rock outcroppings.    

The storm that was called off ended up materializing with 6 -8" of heavy, dense snow and gusty SW winds. Watch for windslabs and storm slabs at the high elevations, and windslab development to continue throughout the day. Expect to see loose-wet avalanche activity in the lower elevations today and on the southern aspects as the sun hits them tomorrow.  

Strong winds and storm-snow have created slabs above 5,000', use caution on all steep slopes over 35.°  Leeward terrain directly below ridgelines will be the primary features of concern at upper elevations through the weekend.  Expect to see loose-wet avalanche activity at lower elevations and use caution in areas where these slow moving slides have the potential to push you into high consequence terrain such as gullies, trees or cliffs.

The Cabinets and Selkirk mountains have been getting light density snow over the past 48 hours.  Scroll down to the avalanche problems to see what we're saying about the avalanche danger.  IPAC sends it's condolences to the friends and families of the avalanche victims in Washington state.  We're sad to report, 6 people have lost their lives in avalanches in Washington over the past week.  Know what avalanche terrain is and practice safe travel techniques.

Stability issues from wind effected snow will be your main concern today.  Mountains picked up a couple inches.  Temperatures in the mountains remained below freezing and surface snow will be easily transported by the forecast winds today and tonight.  New snow is expected and this will also add to stress on windloaded aspects.  You'll find good traveling in most terrain but remain cautious of steep lee aspects with cornice formation and sparse vegetation to protect from triggering unstable wind slabs.

The moderate temperatrures and lack of addtional loading has allowed the upper snowpack to strengthen significantly since last weekends storm. Triggering a windslab on leeward terrain at treeline and above is still a possibility. The facet layer above the February 4th rain crust is also healing but still harbors the potential to be triggered and should be given consideration in steep and open terrain above treeline.

New storm snow and strong Southwesterly winds have created sensitive slabs in steep terrain above 5,000' on all aspects.  Use caution on steep slopes until this new snow has had time to settle and strengthen.

The new snow across the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains have made for some powdery conditions! Be aware of soft slab potential near and above treeline. The light snow on the surface isn't a big concern right now, but we're looking at 15-20'' more by this weekend. As more snow falls, your internal 'red light' should be getting brighter. Expect the avalanche danger to increase over the next couple days.

The wind slabs and weak layers under last weekends' storm snow have strengthened significantly this week. The potential still exists to trigger an avalanche in these variable wind deposits and stubborn weak layers. Use caution in steep terrain, particularly on Southwesterly aspects.  Weather forecasts are predicting significant storm snow Saturday thru Sunday so expect avalanche danger to potentially rise with new snow and wind.

Snowpack is consolidating with light powder on the surface where it is not wind affected.  Assess upper elevation ridgetops and wind affected areas greater than 35 degrees as it is highly variable.  

After a week of good snow and strong winds we'll be hanging out in a cold high pressure for the next 24 hours. There was a lot of reverse loading above treeline and near ridges. Areas that are normally thought of as leeward slopes may have newly formed wind slabs on them.  We're getting initial information about a snowmobile triggered avalanche in Echo bowl yesterday. No details yet... Stay safe out there!

Currently 10 inches of recent storm snow sitting atop an ice crust.  There is some wind affect and slight suncrust on top of the current surface.  A series of storms will be rolling in with breezy conditions forming wind slabs and loading on Noreasterly aspects.  Avalanche danger will be on the rise throughout the weekend with the brunt of the storm coming in Saturday.  Red flags will be heavy precipitation and winds.  

Expect avalanche danger to change rapidly going into the weekend with strong winds and heavy snowfall forecasted for Saturday and Sunday.   This new snow will be falling on a multitude of weak layers that will take multiple days to settle and strengthen.

Cold temperatures and strong winds have driven some change in the snowpack. The cold temperatures over the past 72 hours have frozen the top of the snowpack. It's pretty locked up and won't change to much until we see warmer temperatures or more snow. Meanwhile...the strong winds have transported a fresh wind slab on to windward slopes.  These newly formed wind slabs are sitting on older wind slabs that are capable of breaking off in the form of an avalanche. 

With temperatures mostly above freezing since February 5th in the mountains  most of our precipitation has been rain from 6300 feet down until last night.  The pack has firmed up with about 3-4 inches of snow ontop of an melt freeze icecrust that is more prominent  below 6000 feet.  Extreme upper elevations have a more dense snow surface with lighter powder on top.  

The forecast is back to winter-like temperatures, which will help lock up all the moisture we've been seeing in the pack this week and increase the stability.  Variable amounts of snow (1-5") fell across the forecast region last night, creating the potential for windslab formation. It is important as backcountry users that we evaluate the snow and terrain carefully to identify these areas.  

Since our last advisory, the Selkirks and Cabinets have seen rain and wind. The rain has saturated the lower elevation snowpack while the wind at higher elevations has transported a fresh slab of snow onto leeward slopes. The rain line in most area was around 5000 ft. Be aware of the different snow conditions at different elevations and aspects. Be cautious on wind loaded slopes near ridges. 

It's Groundhog's Day and we are still caught in a time loop of the same three avalanche problems.  Storm slabs, windslabs, and persistent slabs. Expect avalanche danger to increase as we get more snow loading during the day on Friday accompanied by gusty winds and then changing to higher density snow/rain on Friday night.  Assess the terrain at each location by digging down into the snow to identify the layers at your location. Use cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making choices.  

In that past 5-7 days we have received steady snowfall, witnessed above freezing temperatures, and endured some rain.  This has created new surface layers and also helped to stabilize some problem layers last week.  Eric revealed two ice crusts in the upper 18 inches that could present problems with enough new snow or windloaded snow.  Normal caution is advised up high but use caution.   Problem weak layers are more likely in northerly aspects on large, steep, exposed and open terrain.

A new advisory and a new avalanche problem to talk about! Even though buried persistent layers and deep slab instabilities are still a concern, the bigger issue is the precipitation falling on the snowpack right now. Upper elevations are seeing light snow and strong winds while the lower elevations are seeing rain.  Be aware of wind transported snow up high and rain on snow down low.  Based on temperatures, it looks like the rain snow line is at 4,500-5,500 ft.

With the previous storm depositing a generous amount of snow and transport speed winds moving that snow around, there has been a lot of loading. We are forecasted to recieve even more snow with gusty winds, adding to this load. Avalanche danger will increase during the forecast period as the weekend storm systems roll through.  

Recent natural, snowmobile and skier avalanches have been observed with the recent storm since Thursday in the forecast area.  Some areas are more reactive than others but we have consistent persistant weak layers in the snowpack across the board.  New storm snow has been reactive 1-2 feet deep with potential to trigger weak layers deeper in the pack.