What is SWE? SWE stands for Snow Water Equivalent. What it measures is the amount of liquid water in the snow. If you took a height of snow and melted it, the height of the water created is SWE. For example, if 10″ of snow falls at 10% density,...
Winter has arrived, and rallying in support of your avalanche center has gone virtual. Don’t despair; the Pray for Snow tradition is alive and well! While we won’t be gathering in person this year, the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation invites you to our first-ever Pray for Snow online...
Dear Missoula & Beyond, While my involvement with Missoula Avalanche stretches back 14 or 15 years, in the coming months, I will be retiring after 13 years of official duties. This will be both a rewarding shift and a bittersweet farewell. Over the years, I’ve served as the board...
Dear Friends, These are challenging times, and as a community-powered organization, we depend on you to make avalanche forecasts and educational programs possible. This year, more than ever, avalanche forecasting and education funding are uncertain. We expect reduced funding this year to impact us next season, and we are...
It isn’t hyperbole to assert that the current COVID19 world health crisis is profoundly affecting every single one of us. For some, there are worries about losing family members or friends with underlying health issues, others face challenging household-level economic uncertainties. It is a tough time all around, and...
Dear Friends, We at Missoula Avalanche recognize the growing uncertainty that you are facing right now and share your concern. Please know that we are committed to helping you stay safe and wish everyone the best during these challenging times. As a public safety organization, our top priority is...
This month’s snowpack update comes as we transition from winter to spring. As of March 22, the Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) totals in west central Montana are just above average (Figure 1). After a month of small storms and average temperatures, our primary avalanche concerns are focused on...
Snowpack Discussion The snowpack continues to evolve in West Central Montana. In late January, our primary avalanche concern was persistent slab avalanches failing on facets at the bottom of the snowpack. During this time period, several natural persistent slab avalanches failed near the ground. Although the exact timing remains...
Avalanche conditions from January 11th until January 24th have been at considerable danger, trending towards moderate danger. We are currently most concerned with persistent weak layers, failing near the ground on depth hoar and facets. The second problematic persistent weak layer is a combination buried surface hoar, near-surface facets, and crusts. This weak layer is found at different...
1-10-20 Snowpack Update After the winter solstice, we got a small snowstorm that deposited a few inches of snow and a crust layer on the top of the snowpack. Before the New Year storm cycle, we developed a surface hoar, crust, near-surface combo, which has been the cause of...
