*****NW MONTANA GCAC SPECIAL BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING 12-30-96***** This is Stan Bones with a SPECIAL BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING for the Glacier Park and Flathead and Kootenai National Forest areas issued at 7:00 AM, Monday, December 30th, 1996, by Northwestern Montana's Glacier Country Avalanche Center. On Sunday a warm moist Pacific Front began to override the cold Arctic air that we have experienced for the last week or so. The combination of these two air masses has given us increased precipitation and rapidly warming temperatures. The warming has been most noticeable at the higher elevations and along and east of the Continental Divide. Our electronic sensors are showing that Many Glacier between 7:00 and 10:00 pm Sunday evening warmed from -15 to +31 degrees. Overall precipitation amounts have not been overly impressive. But the big factor is that with the warming, the form of precipitation has generally turned from a low density snow to one of rain/snow mix. This is giving us an inverted snowpack with heavier, warmer snow overlying colder weaker snow. We have received reports of widespread avalanching in many areas. In the Purcell Mtns near Libby slab avalanches have hit some roads. Along Marias Pass avalanches have hit the railroad tracks. We are currently rating the backcountry avalanche danger as HIGH. Unstable slab layers are likely on a variety of aspects and slope angles. Both natural and human triggered avalanches are likely. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Safest travel is on windward ridges or on lower angle slopes without steeper terrain above. The weather forecast is for a continued mix bag of events for the next couple of days. The Pacific front that produced the Sunday storm has moved out of our region leaving scattered showers of mix rain and snow. We expect a continued warming trend and this should keep the avalanche danger at elevated levels over the next couple of days. This warning does not apply to developed ski areas. The next regularly scheduled update of this avalanche advisory message is Friday, January 3rd. For current information on snow conditions stop at the Glacier Park Ranger Station at your point of entry, or call a U.S. Forest Service Office. Thank you for your support of Northwestern Montana's Glacier Country Avalanche Center. ************************************************************