Avalanche warning issued: Stay out of avalanche terrain
People photograph an avalanche slide at the Goat Lick in 2014.
The Flathead Avalanche Center has issued a backcountry avalanche watch for the Swan, Whitefish, Flathead Ranges and Glacier National Park as a winter storm is expected to dump additional snow combined with wind on a very fragile snow base.
It’s cautioning that natural avalanches could run to valley floors. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. It’s not uncommon for avalanches to cross U.S. Highway 2 near Marias Pass.
The avalanche danger is expected to rise by to high Friday or Saturday, with a chance of rain in lower elevations.
The National Weather Service is predicting 7 to 16 inches of snow in the Glacier Park region by Saturday, with a rain and snow mix, which could make the snowpack even more unstable.