Avalanche center readies for early winter

The Flathead National Forest avalanche center typically begins posting advisories in early December, but snow is piling up in the backcountry and users could see initial reports far sooner.

“If this continues, we’ll definitely start earlier this year,” FNF avalanche specialist Seth Carbonari said.

A settled base of 32 inches at the summit of Big Mountain was reported on Monday after nearly a foot of fresh snow fell at the ski area from Nov. 6 -10.

“Once November arrived, the switch was finally flipped to winter,” Carbonari stated in a Nov. 9 advisory. “A series of winter storms over the past week formed the foundation of our season’s snowpack.”

He noted that remote weather and SNOTEL sites are also reporting about 30 inches of snow with a hefty water equivalent of up to six inches at some sites.

“Whether you’re hunting for the first turns of the season or for that prized elk, it’s possible you could encounter unstable snow,” Carbonari warned.

“If there is enough snow to ski, then there is enough snow for avalanches to occur.”

Whitefish Mountain Resort spokeswoman Riley Polumbus reminds early-season hikers to abide by the uphill policy and to stay at least 100 feet away from resort machinery and equipment as they ramp up for the season.

Uphill route restriction go into effect on opening day, set for Dec. 7.

The resort has slightly changed the hours for the uphill routes. During the ski season, uphill travel is allowed on Toni Matt from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. The east side route should be used from 4 to 7 p.m.