23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>We are continuing an Avalanche Warning in the southern Gallatin and southern Madison Ranges, the Lionhead area and Island Park. Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist. Dave and I toured into Bacon Rind and had constant collapsing and cracking as soon as we left the car (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/zcBGHzPcXtw"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…; and </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30508"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). Little trees would shake from the collapsing waves, which is a blaring warning from Mother Nature that avalanches were imminent. Further south in Lionhead and Island Park, the new snow is deeper and slopes will avalanche. Snow bikers in Island Park had wicked collapsing on Sunday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30521"><span><span><span><strong><span…;) and since then over a foot of new snow has fallen making it even more dangerous. A person could trigger slides from flat terrain as whumpfs travel uphill. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>Today is a day to avoid being on or underneath avalanche terrain</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. The avalanche danger is HIGH.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Since Friday, the mountains around Bozeman, Big Sky, and Cooke City received 5-8” of new snow (0.4-0.8” of snow water equivalent). Strong southwest wind yesterday created unstable wind drifts throughout. Skiers in the Bridger Range saw natural avalanches, had collapsing around Fairy Lake and Frazier Basin and poor test scores north of Bridger Bowl (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30517"><span><span><span><strong><span…;).&nbsp; Further south in Beehive Basin, skiers on Sunday saw natural and skier-triggered loose snow slides and one slab avalanche (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30495"><span><span><span><strong><span… and details</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). In Cooke City, although the snowpack is deeper than in the northern mountains, it is showing similar signs of instability with </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30491"><span><span><span><strong><span… avalanches</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, collapses, and poor test scores (Friday’s </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/gJtR7y1kYuU?feature=shared"><span><span><span><strong>… update video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Alex is currently there, and his two videos, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/c7XwPvZ93ZU?feature=share"><span><span><span… north</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> of town and the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/uJXOKijsY38?feature=share"><span><span><span… south</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, unequivocally show us the lurking danger.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The snowpack is very weak and unstable. We have seen avalanches every time there is a couple inches of new snow. Traveling in avalanche terrain is dangerous and it is likely you would trigger an avalanche 1-2 feet deep. Even traveling underneath steep slopes is not advised as collapses warn us that we can trigger slides from flat ground. The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>