Disclaimer: The information below is being provided to our customers to help them gather useful information for their recreational purposes. The Natural Resources Conservation Service does not forecast avalanches, floods, or other hazards. The embedded links below are intended to help the user find relevant information from agencies that are tasked with these specific purposes.

The SNOTEL based products below are provided so that users have access to additional tools to interpret data provided by the SNOTEL Network so they can make informed decisions on current conditions.   

Interactive Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) and Snow Depth     

Unlike snow depth, which can blank out during heavy snowfall events and settles between storms, SWE is a more stable metric of how much snow accumulated during a storm and what the snowpack looked like before it came through. It represents the amount of liquid water contained (or added) to the snowpack in inches, which can directly be translated into load applied to the snowpack structure. 

A good rule of thumb with SWE for Montana SNOTEL sites is to assume a ratio of 10:1 or higher during the colder winter months if you want to estimate how many inches of snow you might find at the SNOTEL site. That means if 1.0" of SWE is added to the snowpack, 10 or more inches of snow may have accumulated. "Cold Smoke," which is very low-density new snow (95% air, 5% water), equates to a 20:1 ratio. During the fall and spring months, when temperatures are typically warmer during storms, you might consider using a lower ratio of 8:1 or lower. 

The user controlled version of the map allows you to view the map in full-screen mode, select different metrics, change dates, etc. Try it out if you find the tools below don't fit your unique needs. 

(Select a Map Using Dropdown Below)

Current Avalanche Hazard

(Source: USFS National Avalanche Center)

7 Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast

(Source: NOAA Weather Prediction Center)