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
Winter for another day
Location Name:
Forecaster Observation - southern Glacier Park
Observation date:
Friday, March 26, 2021 - 19:45
Is this an Avalanche Observation:
No
Observation made by:
Forecaster
Tabs
Quick Observation
We traveled to southern Glacier Park to observe the surface snowpack conditions and today's weather.
This area missed out on the bountiful snowfall which fell earlier this week in the Swan and the Whitefish Ranges. There was a trace of recent snow at 4500 feet, three inches at 6000 feet, and five inches at 6900 feet. This snow was moist below 6200 feet and dry above there.
We found a thick supportable crust at all elevations on southerly aspects. Northeast aspects have a mostly supportable one-inch-thick crust below 6300 feet and an eggshell thick crust above that.
Overcast skies limited the warming of the snow surface on all aspects.
We were able to trigger small Loose Dry sluffs on steep slopes with ski turns. This snow ran on top of the near-surface crust.
Despite traveling in a windy location, we only found a thin (<one inch thick) soft wind skin on the surface.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:
Travel Details
Region:
Glacier National Park - Southern Lewis Range
Route Description:
Activity:
Skiing
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details:
Terrain
Elevation of observation:
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation:
N
NE
E
SE
S
Red Flags:
Blowing snow
Persistent Weak Layers:
Facets or Faceted Crust
On the surface
Buried
New Snow in the past 24 hours:
1.00in.
Total Snow Depth:
56
More comments about the snowpack and weather:
A snowpit at 6300 feet on a SE aspect. HS = 56 inches. 4-5 inches recent snow capping a strong 2-3 inch melt-freeze crust. Beneath this crust was an eight-inch thick series of crusts capping a foot of 1F hard slab above the 1/13 crust. Two thin layers of rounding facets sandwiched the crust. Below the crust, the snowpack was moist to the ground and consisted of rounds. The thick, strong near-surface crusts did not allow for failures in CT and ECT snowpit tests. A hasty pit at 6800 feet on a NE aspect. HS = 84 inches. Five inches of recent snow capped an eggshell thick melt-freeze crust. Beneath that was a 1F hard slab most of the way to the ground. The 1/13 crust and late January facets were not observed.
Blowing Snow:
Light
Wind Speed:
Light (Twigs in motion)
Wind Direction:
West
Air temperature:
Above Freezing
Snow line:
4000'
Sky Cover:
Overcast (OVC)
Highest Precipitation Rate:
Light Snowfall (S1)
