The Flathead Avalanche Center has issued a backcountry avalanche watch for Flathead, Lake and Lincoln counties through Saturday night.
The snowstorm that arrived in the area on Thursday morning is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of snow in the mountains of Northwest Montana, drastically increasing the possibility of avalanches in the coming days. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of the region.
That snow is falling atop a weak snowpack that may not be able to hold the weight of the new precipitation. The snow, along with increasing wind, could result in “widespread” avalanche activity and some slides might even reach the valley floor. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended for the next few days.
For more information, visit flatheadavalanche.org.