24-25

GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Apr 4, 2025

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today’s transition between colder, snowy weather and warm, sunny, springlike weather bring a range of concerns.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>While winds have generally been light, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Wind Slab avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> are a concern in places where winds have drifted and slightly stiffened the recent snow. Look for these drifts below cornices and near ridgelines. With east winds in the Bridger Range, there may be drifts in some unusual locations, so be particularly watchful there. Over the last couple days, thin, relatively small, wind slabs have been reported in the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34832"><span><span><span><span><span><… Range</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34824"><span><span><span><span><span><… Basin</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, and the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34826"><span><span><span><span><span><… around Cooke City</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Looking for wind textured surfaces and avoiding drifts is the easiest way to deal with this problem.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Dry loose avalanches </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>(sluffs) can pack a surprising punch and there is plenty of soft snow for them to entrain. Don’t underestimate their power if you’re getting onto steeper slopes.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As soon as direct sunshine hits slopes today </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>wet loose avalanches </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>will become the big player. Today will be the first time the recent snow gets wet. This initial wetting is often the peak of instability for wet loose avalanches. With lots of recent snow, these could be quite big slides and they’ll run a long way on last week’s crusts.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Temperatures are warmer and it’s going to be sunnier around West Yellowstone, Island Park, and Cooke City this morning, so the onset of these wet loose slides will be earlier in those places. Near Bozeman and Big Sky, there is more new snow but temperatures are cooler and clouds should stick around for longer, so it’ll take longer for things to get going, but once they do, we could see bigger avalanches.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Be on alert as soon as the sun is not blocked by clouds. The snow surface getting sticky and wet and rollerballs rolling down hill are your clues that it’s time to move to shadier or less steep slopes.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>With a range of concerns to watch for and large avalanches possible, the avalanche danger is MODERATE today.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

Stable Snow on Ellis

Date
Activity
Skiing

My ski partner and I toured up Ellis today and skied the typical east facing gullies. 

We found the new snow to be bonding well to the crust and no significant instabilities within the new snow. Light snowfall off and on throughout the day, total accumulation no more than 0.5in, sky broken to obscured. Excellent skiing above 7K

Region
Northern Gallatin
Location (from list)
Mt Ellis
Observer Name
Lael Butler

A Pair of Small Avalanches on Saddle Peak

Saddle Peak
Bridger Range
Code
AS-R1-D1-S
Elevation
9000
Aspect
NE
Latitude
45.79430
Longitude
-110.93600
Notes

I was skiing in bounds on Slushman’s lift and saw a pair of R1, D1 avalanches on Saddle Peak. One appears to be a loose snow avalanche triggered by a skier coming off of north Saddle Peak That ran a couple hundred feet. The second was a small slab coming out of Spencer’s with debris running into Going Home Chute. 
 

There were many tracks across the visible Saddle Peak terrain. 

Number of slides
2
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Trigger
Skier
R size
1
D size
1
Bed Surface
S - Avalanche released within new snow
Vertical Fall
200ft
Slab Width
75.00ft
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year

There was a pair of R1, D1 avalanches on Saddle Peak. One appears to be a loose snow avalanche triggered by a skier coming off of north Saddle Peak That ran a couple hundred feet. The second was a small slab coming out of Spencer’s with debris running into Going Home Chute. Photo: GNFAC

Bridger Range, 2025-04-03

A Pair of Small Avalanches on Saddle Peak

Date
Activity
Skiing

I was skiing in bounds on Slushman’s lift and saw a pair of R1, D1 avalanches on Saddle Peak. One appears to be a loose snow avalanche triggered by a skier coming off of north Saddle Peak That ran a couple hundred feet. The second was a small slab coming out of Spencer’s with debris running into Going Home Chute. 
 

There were many tracks across the visible Saddle Peak terrain. 

Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
Saddle Peak
Observer Name
David Zinn

GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Apr 3, 2025

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Bridger Range received the most snow totaling about 20 inches, and yesterday the Bridger Bowl Ski Patrol was still able to trigger some soft slab avalanches 12-16 inches deep in pockets, but generally the new snow had begun stabilizing.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Winds have been minimal, but places near the ridge under cornices that received some drifting will still be the most likely places to trigger a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>soft wind slab</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. The odds of triggering a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>storm slab avalanche</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> on a slope without any drifting have gone down a lot, but there will still be </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>decent sluffing</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> in the steepest terrain.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>I’d feel comfortable getting into steep terrain today, but I’d avoid spots where winds previously drifted snow, and I’d choose slopes with a runout free of rocks or trees in case I triggered a small pocket of storm snow. Today the avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Avalanche conditions are generally safe with minimal wind limiting wind slab formation, and cool temperatures and clouds today preventing wet snow problems. Ian and Dave found stable snow yesterday&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34822"><span><span><span><span><span><… Buck Ridge just south of Big Sky</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Two avalanches yesterday</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> are great examples of what to look for today. A group </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34824"><span><span><span><span><span><… Beehive Basin just north of Big Sky</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> found stable snow in steep terrain except for one pocket in a couloir where winds had stiffened the new snow. They triggered but were not caught in a soft slab avalanche about 6 inches deep and 60 feet wide. Another group </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34826"><span><span><span><span><span><… Cooke City</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> triggered a soft wind slab 6-10 inches deep and 40 feet wide.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Be on the lookout for isolated places where winds have drifted snow and where you could trigger a soft wind slab. Be especially cautious in terrain where simply falling could be dangerous. A tragic accident </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/accident/15/04/15"><span><span><span><span>… years ago in April on Beehive Peak</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> is worth reading about and learning from. Today the avalanche danger is LOW. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

Skier Triggered Wind Slab - Ice Cream Scoop

Woody Ridge
Cooke City
Code
SS-ASu-R1-D1-S
Elevation
9280
Aspect
N
Latitude
45.00270
Longitude
-109.91700
Notes

Ice Cream Scoop on Skiers Left Side in Gully, North Aspect, 9280'

SS-ASu-R1-D1-S

One of the few spots on the gully where there are no trees as a wind block on the skiers left (south) side. Noticed a few cornices on south side of gully where it is exposed to W/SW/S winds. Skier took a left turn under cornices to scrub speed and released a 6-10" windslab 40' wide which ran 10' at most. Super soft and easy to ski through. 

Number of slides
1
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Skier
Trigger Modifier
u-An unintentional release
R size
1
D size
1
Bed Surface
S - Avalanche released within new snow
Problem Type
Wind Slab
Slab Thickness
10.0 inches
Slab Width
40.00ft
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year

Beehive/Bear Obs

Bear Basin
Northern Madison
Code
SS-ASu-R1-D1.5-S
Aspect
E
Latitude
45.34530
Longitude
-111.37500
Notes

Skied around Beehive Basin today; there was lots of new snow and very little wind effect. Skied into the top of Bear Basin from Beehive by going up going home and down the east side, right-side-up powder skiing. While descending Island Boy into the South Fork of Spanish Creek, we had similar 60-100 cm of right-side-up new snow on a heavily textured melt-freeze layer of old snow. Felt the snow density stiffen up from light low density snow around 300 meters down the ski line so cut to the left into a safe zone, the slope at the my skis broke about 15-20 meters wide and 15 cm deep at the flanks to 40cm deep in the gut, SS-ASu-R1-D1.5-I-M(L)-TK. About 30 meters downhill, the slab rode up onto the new snow and ran out of momentum before reaching the runout. Right where the slope broke, we had wind wrapping around the north ridge cross-loading the couloir (skiers left to right), downslope, and on skiers' right of the line, there was no evidence of wind transport. Skied the rest of the line and looped back into Beehive with no other excitement. 

Number of slides
1
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Skier
Trigger Modifier
u-An unintentional release
R size
1
D size
1.5
Bed Surface
S - Avalanche released within new snow
Problem Type
Wind Slab
Slab Thickness
6.0 inches
Slab Width
60.00ft
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year