Avalanche warning issued as northwest Montana digs out from snow storm
Libby resident Pat Elliott shovels snow on West Third Street in Libby on Thursday, Dec. 1. A late fall snow storm dumped a little more than a foot of snow in the valley. Forecasters say patchy fog is expected in the mornings before the sun comes out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
A late fall snow storm dumped a little more than a foot of snow in the valleys of southern Lincoln County on Wednesday and Thursday.
Forecasters say patchy fog is expected in the mornings before the sun comes out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center in Sandpoint issued a backcountry avalanche warning in Lincoln, Sanders and Mineral counties in Montana through Friday evening.
The warning was also issued in Idaho in Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties.
The warning includes mountainous terrain above 5,000 feet in elevation on the Kootenai National Forest, Silver Valley, Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains.
The warning was issued due to recent storm snow and wind combined with a weak snowpack structure has created dangerous avalanche conditions.
Human triggered avalanches are very likely and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
Avalanches may run long distances and can run into mature forests, valley floors or flat terrain.
Similar avalanche danger may exist at locations outside the coverage area of this or any avalanche center.
For more information, consult http://www.idahopanhandleavalanche.org/ or www.avalanche.org for more detailed information.