HELENA – Avalanche warnings are in effect for the mountains in northwestern and west-central Montana Monday and U.S. Forest Service avalanche forecasters are urging people to avoid avalanche terrain, including slopes steeper than 30 degrees.
Heavy snow, strong winds and variable temperatures are contributing to an increase in avalanche danger in the northern Rocky Mountains, the Flathead and West Central Montana avalanche centers said.
The avalanche danger is high in the Whitefish Range, the Flathead Range and Glacier National Park and the Swan Range, forecasters said. The Mission, Rattlesnake and central and southern Bitterroot Mountains and Lolo Pass are also under an avalanche warning at least through Tuesday morning, forecasters said.
Heavy snowfall and strong winds were loading the snowpack in the mountains early Monday. Forecasts called for warming temperatures and possibly rain at elevations as high as 7,000 feet (2,133 meters) later Monday “further destabilizing the snowpack,” the West Central Montana Avalanche Center said.
“Widespread avalanches are very likely,” forecasters said. “Avoid all avalanche terrain and stay well away from the base of slopes capable of sliding.”