Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Large avalanches will be easily triggered today. In the last 48 hours, 8-15” of snow (0.6-1.0” of </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observat… water equivalent</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>) have fallen and strong winds have been drifting the new snow into deeper slabs. The amount of avalanche activity over the last two weeks has been remarkable with slides breaking naturally, being triggered from far away and breaking unusually wide (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><span><span><span… and avalanche log</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). New snow and windloading are pushing the exceptionally weak layers in the lower snowpack to their breaking point again. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Yesterday, riders near Big Sky triggered a slide from a distance that broke 3-4 deep and 1500 ft wide (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30756"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). Before even thinking about crossing beneath a steep slope today, consider what it would mean for all that snow to release above you. Expect similarly touchy and dangerous conditions today. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Now is not the time to try to use stability tests to outsmart the snowpack or to watch for signs of instability and factor those into your travel plans (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KoxeBr3WRI"><span><span><span><strong>… video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). The big picture of recent avalanches, with snowfall and drifting snow loading a very weak snowpack tells us to simply avoid steep slopes today.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On wind-loaded slopes, the avalanche danger is HIGH. On all other slopes, the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE, which still means you are likely going to trigger an avalanche if you get on or even near any slope steeper than 30 degrees.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Around Bozeman, a bit less snow has fallen (6-7” with 0.4” </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observat…; over the last two days) so conditions are a bit less touchy, but still quite dangerous. Similar snowfall totals last weekend caused several natural avalanches on Bridger and Saddle Peaks (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30639"><span><span><span><strong><span…;).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Large, human triggered avalanches are likely today, breaking on the weak layers low in the snowpack. Shifting winds from unusual directions (east) may have windloaded slopes that aren’t usually windloaded. Avoiding all slopes steeper than 30 degrees and being wary of crossing beneath them is the wise choice today.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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