Posted:
Dec 21, 2011 @ 2:59 pm

Solstice Update 12/21/11 2pm

With 12″ of new snow and 1″ of snow water equivalent (SWE) in 12 hours reported at the Stuart Peak SNOTEL,  CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists on slopes steeper than 30 degrees.  This is Steve Karkanen at the West Central MT Avalanche Center with this short update for the mountains above 5000′ north of Missoula. Other SNOTEL locations have not received more than 3-4″ of snow so conditions elsewhere remain similar to what we described last Friday.

This heavy snowfall in the Rattlesnake buried weak faceted snow that formed during the lengthy December dry spell.  We have been seeing surface hoar in several areas (esp north shaded slopes) and a faceted layer near the snow surface everywhere.  To make things even more interesting the sunny warm weather last weekend left a nasty zipper crust on southerly aspects.

12″ of snow in 12 hours is a big load under any circumstance.  What makes this storm worrisome is that the first big dump of the season is now sitting on a very weak base layer.  All the conditions are lined up for human-triggered avalanche activity.

Our observers will be out checking conditions throughout the advisory area Thursday and Dudley will issue a regular advisory Friday morning.

High pressure returns today for a short while then we can expect more snow for the last week of December.

 

 

READ FULL ADVISORY  

This information is the sole responsibility of the Forest Service and does not apply to operating ski areas. The avalanche danger rating expires at midnight tonight but the information can help you make a more informed decision regarding travel in avalanche terrain for the next few days.

Our advisory area includes National Forest System lands in the Bitterroot Mountains from Lost Trail Pass north to Granite Pass, the Rattlesnake Mountains north of Missoula and the Southern Swan and Mission Mountains near Seeley Lake, MT. Avalanche information for the Lookout Pass/St. Regis Basin area is available from the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center.