Flathead Avalanche Center

Pit dug on S aspect to determine snowpack structure and surface snow softening on sunny aspects.

Observers: Carbonari/Cloutier/Hannan. Pit dug to 230 cm. Rain line near 5400 feet at 1100 but raised to over 6800 feet by 1400. Wet. Cracking and very small loose wet slides triggered by skiing on steep slopes. Top few cm of snow saturated at 6000 feet. Pinwheels and rollerballs in abundance. Warming temps through the day. Wet....

Observers: Carbonari/Mercer. Some wind transport at ridge with substantial cornice development. Some graupel on surface. Probed on the West aspect and found HS 95 with ~30cm above the melt freeze crust. Some cracking of top 6 inches at ridge. Pit dug to 130cm

This pit is representative of all three pits dug today on S, NE, and N aspects in Canyon Creek, Skookoleel Creek and Lakalaho/Skookoleel Ridge areas. Approximately 70 inches of snow accumulated over the past 8 days.

BNSF Avalanche Safety

Pits dug in Cascade Creek and Rescue Creek in the Flathead Range.

Observers: Carbonari/Zoellner Pit was adjacent to crown of avalanche from Feb 3-10 avalanche cycle. estimated SS-NS-R1-D2. Failure appeared to be above the January 19 crust, but stepped down to near the ground in places. Estimated crown height of 1.5 to 2 feet and crown width of approximately 50 feet.

Observers: Carbonari/Clark multiple natural avalanches from the Feb 3-10 cycle observed. D1 to D2. Surface rain crust fully supportable.