Trip Planning for Northern Madison

as of 5:00 am
Today4″ | 10-20 W
Mar 28 2″ | 25-40 SW
Mar 27 6″ | 10-25 W
9400′     3/29 at 5:00
15 ℉
W - 8 mph, Gusts 14
4 " New
8880′     03/29 at 04:00
20℉
48″ Depth
Primary Problem: Wind-Drifted Snow
Bottom Line: New snow and wind-loading are the main avalanche concerns today. They are creating instability in the upper 1+ foot of the snowpack, and the weaker, faceted snow near the ground is more difficult to trigger, but not impossible. Rocks sticking out in starting zones indicate shallow areas where a person could trigger a large and deadly slide. Today is a day of active loading and the snowpack will be most sensitive to triggering, both naturally and by people. Dangerous avalanche conditions are back. Be careful getting near avalanche terrain and be especially mindful of terrain traps.

Past 5 Days

Sun Mar 24

Considerable
Mon Mar 25

Moderate
Tue Mar 26

Moderate
Wed Mar 27

Considerable
Thu Mar 28

Considerable

Relevant Avalanche Activity

Northern Madison
Buck Ridge
Small Avalanches on Test Slopes, Buck Ridge
Incident details include images
Buck Ridge
SS-ACc
Coordinates: 45.1719, -111.3800
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From obs: "On a small test slope near Muddy Creek we intentionally triggered several small avalanches in wind loaded terrain." 


More Avalanche Details
Northern Madison
Buck Ridge
Natural Avalanches near Buck Ridge
Incident details include images
Buck Ridge
SS-N-R1-D1
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.1719, -111.3800
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From obs: "Behind McAtee Basin, we saw a small natural wind slab avalanche on an east facing slope, and we saw a natural wind slab in Bear Creek." 


More Avalanche Details
Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Collapse in beehive
Beehive Basin
Coordinates: 45.3187, -111.3840
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From Obs: "Had a pretty interesting collapse this afternoon while touring up the east ridge of Beehive. The slope I was on I measured at 30° at the highest, was below treeline but in a small meadow. The surface had melted and refroze. As I was touring across the small slope stomping to the to break the surface to set a better skin track the whole piece broke (150' wide by 50' down) together and moved down slope about 6". I quickly dug a little bit where it broke from the rest of the slope and it seamed to break near the ground, ~ 50cm and with the naked eye I could see large depth hoar crystals and little to no rounding.

While I do think it was simply a collapse I was very surprised this happened and the way this whole piece moved on such a low angle slope. I hadn't seen something like this before. Guess it lines up with just how weird this season has been. 

~8560' west facing"


More Avalanche Details

Relevant Photos

Displaying 1 - 40
  • On a small test slope near Muddy Creek we intentionally triggered several small avalanches in wind-loaded terrain by knocking chunks of cornice off. Photo: GNFAC

  • While riding we saw cracking forming near our sleds in fresh drifts: Photo: GNFAC

  • Strong wind transporting snow at ridge tops. Photo: GNFAC

  • We saw this recent avalanche near the Bear Creek wilderness boundary while riding on 03/24/2024. Photo: GNFAC

  • We saw this natural avalanche on a wind-loaded slope behind McAtee Basin. Photo: GNFAC

  • A rider triggered this avalanche in Taylor Fork on 3/16/24. "Avalanche broke about 400ft wide and slid for 250 ft. 4-2ft deep at the crown."

  • Skiers saw a natural avalanche on east-facing terrain at 9500' in Beehive Basin. Photo: Anonymous 

  • Skiers triggered this slope by dropping a section of cornice onto the slope. This avalanche broke 500' wide, and ranged in depth from 18" or 6'. Photo: P. Hess

  • Skiers triggered this slope by dropping a section of cornice onto the slope. This avalanche broke 500' wide, and ranged in depth from 18" or 6'. Photo: P. Hess

  • Skiers triggered this slope by dropping a section of cornice onto the slope. This avalanche broke 500' wide, and ranged in depth from 18" or 6'. Photo: P. Hess

  • Skiers triggered this slope by dropping a section of cornice onto the slope. This avalanche broke 500' wide, and ranged in depth from 18" or 6'. Photo: P. Hess

     

  • From obs: "On a tour up Middle Peak, I saw recent avalanches, with large propagation in Middle Basin and Beehive Basin." Photo Anonymous 

  • From obs: "On a tour up Middle Peak, I saw recent avalanches, with large propagation in Middle Basin and Beehive Basin." Photo Anonymous 

  • From IG: "Buck ridge south of slatts hill, remote trigger by a snowmobile today"

  • Skiers in Beehive Basin saw a natural avalanche on an east-facing slope. This avalanche likely happened in the last 24-48 hours. Photo: E. Heiman

  • Skiers intentionally triggered a small avalanche near the prayer flags in Bear Basin. This slope has avalanched previously this season. Photo: J Alford

  • Riders triggered this pair of avalanches while crossing below this terrain, roughly 150 yards away. The location of the triggers is marked by the "x's" in the photo. Photo: M. Rolfson 

  • Riders triggered this pair of avalanches while crossing below this terrain, roughly 150 yards away. Photo: M. Rolfson 

  • Rider on 02/23/2024 observed this large avalanche next to another avalanche they had triggered remotely. They likely triggered this one as well from afar while cross terrain below. Photo: M. Rolfson

  • Riders on 02/23/2024 triggered this avalanche from 150 yards away while traversing below. Photo: M. Rolfson

  • Riders on 02/23/2024 triggered this avalanche from 150 yards away while traversing below. Photo: M. Rolfson

     

  • On 2/18/24 near Buck Ridge and Muddy Creek we saw at least eight recent avalanches that occurred at various times over the last 1-3 days, natural and/or remote triggered by riders. A group in the parking lot mentioned seeing many slides actively happen in this area on Friday 2/16. Most were 2-3' deep hard slabs, ranging from 50'-500' wide. Photo: GNFAC

  • On 2/18/24 near Buck Ridge and Muddy Creek we saw at least eight recent avalanches that occurred at various times over the last 1-3 days, natural and/or remote triggered by riders. A group in the parking lot mentioned seeing many slides actively happen in this area on Friday 2/16. Most were 2-3' deep hard slabs, ranging from 50'-500' wide. Photo: GNFAC

  • On 2/18/24 near Buck Ridge and Muddy Creek we saw at least eight recent avalanches that occurred at various times over the last 1-3 days, natural and/or remote triggered by riders. A group in the parking lot mentioned seeing many slides actively happen in this area on Friday 2/16. Most were 2-3' deep hard slabs, ranging from 50'-500' wide. Photo: GNFAC

  • On 2/18/24 near Buck Ridge and Muddy Creek we saw at least eight recent avalanches that occurred at various times over the last 1-3 days, natural and/or remote triggered by riders. A group in the parking lot mentioned seeing many slides actively happen in this area on Friday 2/16. Most were 2-3' deep hard slabs, ranging from 50'-500' wide. Photo: GNFAC

  • On 2/18/24 near Buck Ridge and Muddy Creek we saw at least eight recent avalanches that occurred at various times over the last 1-3 days, natural and/or remote triggered by riders. A group in the parking lot mentioned seeing many slides actively happen in this area on Friday 2/16. Most were 2-3' deep hard slabs, ranging from 50'-500' wide. Photo: GNFAC

  • On 2/18/24 near Buck Ridge and Muddy Creek we saw at least eight recent avalanches that occurred at various times over the last 1-3 days, natural and/or remote triggered by riders. A group in the parking lot mentioned seeing many slides actively happen in this area on Friday 2/16. Most were 2-3' deep hard slabs, ranging from 50'-500' wide. Photo: GNFAC

  • An avalanche we either triggered from 750-800 feet away or it broke naturally. This avalanche happened when we were riding near the larger of the two avalanches from yesterday, on the south side of Cedar Mtn. It was a wind-loaded slope, actively loading. The avalanche was ~130' wide with 100' of 4-12" deep new snow/wind slab and 30' wide broke almost 3 feet deep on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

  • An avalanche we either triggered from 750-800 feet away or it broke naturally. This avalanche happened when we were riding near the larger of the two avalanches from yesterday, on the south side of Cedar Mtn. It was a wind-loaded slope, actively loading. The avalanche was ~130' wide with 100' of 4-12" deep new snow/wind slab and 30' wide broke almost 3 feet deep on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

  • An avalanche we either triggered from 750-800 feet away or it broke naturally. This avalanche happened when we were riding near the larger of the two avalanches from yesterday, on the south side of Cedar Mtn. It was a wind-loaded slope, actively loading. The avalanche was ~130' wide with 100' of 4-12" deep new snow/wind slab and 30' wide broke almost 3 feet deep on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

  • An avalanche we either triggered from 750-800 feet away or it broke naturally. This avalanche happened when we were riding near the larger of the two avalanches from yesterday, on the south side of Cedar Mtn. It was a wind-loaded slope, actively loading. The avalanche was ~130' wide with 100' of 4-12" deep new snow/wind slab and 30' wide broke almost 3 feet deep on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

  • An avalanche we either triggered from 750-800 feet away or it broke naturally. This avalanche happened when we were riding near the larger of the two avalanches from yesterday, on the south side of Cedar Mtn. It was a wind-loaded slope, actively loading. The avalanche was ~130' wide with 100' of 4-12" deep new snow/wind slab and 30' wide broke almost 3 feet deep on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

  • This avalanche was triggered by riders from flat terrain far below on February 17. Photo: GNFAC

  • From BSSP on 2/17/24: "Midafternoon we received another report of a skier triggered avalanche in the Lone Lake Circe, specifically The Mullet. The reporting party contacted several ski patrollers via cell phone and confirmed that nobody was injured or had taken the full ride. This avalanche failed near the ground on a high elevation NW facing slope with the weight of a single skier with an estimated size of HS-ASu-R3-D2.5-O."

  • From BSSP on 2/17/24: "Midafternoon we received another report of a skier triggered avalanche in the Lone Lake Circe, specifically The Mullet. The reporting party contacted several ski patrollers via cell phone and confirmed that nobody was injured or had taken the full ride. This avalanche failed near the ground on a high elevation NW facing slope with the weight of a single skier with an estimated size of HS-ASu-R3-D2.5-O."

  • Riders triggered this avalanche remotely on 02/17/2024 while riding near the Bear Creek wilderness boundary. Photo: Anonymous 

  • The debris and path of an avalanche that was triggered by snowmobilers remotely on 02/17/2024. The riders watched the avalanche from safe terrain and were not on the slope. Photo: Anonymous

  • The crown of an avalanche that was triggered by snowmobilers remotely. The riders watched the avalanche from safe terrain and were not on the slope. Photo: Anonymous

  • The crown of an avalanche that was triggered by snowmobilers remotely. The riders watched the avalanche from safe terrain and were not on the slope. Photo: Anonymous

  • From instagram on 2/16/24: "Just getting to the ridge by prayer flags in Beehive basin. 100 maybe 200 yards wide. Cracked all the way around the corner almost to a couple old tracks. Seemed to be a natural from last night or this morning."

    Photo: S. Knowles

Videos- Northern Madison

WebCams


8800' Camera, Lone Peak view

Yellowstone Club, Timberline Chair

Snowpit Profiles- Northern Madison

 

Select a snowpit on the map to view the profile image

Weather Forecast Northern Madison

Extended Forecast for

5 Miles NNW Big Sky MT

  • Today

    Today: A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly between noon and 4pm.  Partly sunny, with a high near 27. South southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.  Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

    Partly Sunny
    then Chance
    Snow

    High: 27 °F

  • Tonight

    Tonight: A 30 percent chance of snow after 5am.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. West southwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the evening.  Little or no snow accumulation expected.

    Partly Cloudy
    then Chance
    Snow

    Low: 14 °F

  • Saturday

    Saturday: A 40 percent chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.  New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

    Chance Snow

    High: 25 °F

  • Saturday
    Night

    Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. North wind 6 to 9 mph.

    Slight Chance
    Snow

    Low: 14 °F

  • Sunday

    Sunday: A 50 percent chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. North wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.  New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

    Chance Snow

    High: 24 °F

  • Sunday
    Night

    Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow before midnight.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. North wind 12 to 17 mph decreasing to 6 to 11 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.

    Slight Chance
    Snow then
    Mostly Cloudy

    Low: 12 °F

  • Monday

    Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. West wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

    Mostly Sunny

    High: 31 °F

  • Monday
    Night

    Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 20. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph becoming south southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

    Mostly Clear

    Low: 20 °F

  • Tuesday

    Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 41.

    Sunny

    High: 41 °F

The Last Word

If you have a few minutes, take a survey on how you interpreting avalanche forecast information in hopes of improving avalanche forecasting methods.

03 / 27 / 24  <<  
 
this forecast
 
  >>  This is the most recent forecast.