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West-central Montana avalanche danger hiked to “high”

Posted at 9:31 AM, Jan 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-18 12:27:48-05
Avalanche Danger 1.18.19
(photo credit: West Central Montana Avalanche Center)

MISSOULA – Our recent snowfall has prompted the avalanched danger in west-central Montana to be hiked to “high” on wind loaded slopes and considerable on all other slopes in the backcountry.

Travis Craft with the West Central Montana Avalanche Center advises to avoid traveling on or below wind loaded slopes as “dangerous avalanche conditions exist.”

The primary avalanche problem on Friday is wind drifted snow, according to Craft. He added that there are also concerns about storm slabs and persistent slabs.

Craft notes “we have dangerous avalanche conditions in our forecast area. Avoid wind drifted terrain. Choose low angle slopes(less than 30 degrees) to enjoy the new snow. It is a real possibility to trigger a wind slab or storm slab on steep terrain and have it step down into the bottom of our snowpack and cause a large or very large avalanche.”

Click here to view the latest avalanche advisory.