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A combination of changing temperatures and wet, heavy spring snow is creating what forecasters call a "considerable" danger of avalanches in the Bitterroot Mountains headed into the weekend.

The West Central Montana Avalanche Center says a combination of rain and snow driven by high winds on top of an already weak snowpack this week has created the dangerous conditions. And although forecasters say the peak of the avalanche cycle may have passed, it won't take much disturbance from a skier or a snowmobile to start a slide, with the biggest danger on steep, northerly slopes.

And the outlook for as much as 14-inches of snow in some areas, with more wind tonight and Saturday could cause more problems. The National Weather Service says the next front isn't as warm and wet as the ones earlier this week, but the additional snow could trigger slides that haven't happened already.

In addition to the snowmobiler who died near Missoula Lake southwest of Superior, a Whitefish man was killed in a slide in the southeast corner of Glacier National Park. The Center has received numerous reports of slides in the Hoodoo Basin, about six miles from the snowmobile accident, which received more than 20-inches of heavy snow and took the brunt of this week's storm.

Other popular locations such as Gash Point, St. Joe Peak and Downing Mountain also had avalanche reports from backcountry skiers and sled riders. This photo taken by Jason Leppi shows a slide earlier this week on the north face of St. Joe Peak (picture posted to Avalanche Center page).

The Center says the Rattlesnake and Southern Swan and Mission Mountains didn't receive as much snow, but still have a moderate avalanche danger.

Forecasters are worried people will want to get out and enjoy the new snow, but they say these conditions produce "unsurvivable avalanches" and are recommending people look for weak snow layers before venturing onto any steep terrain.

Although the official avalanche "season" with regular reports ended last Friday, the center is still posting new advisories.