23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>We issued an Avalanche Warning for the third day in a row in Island Park because it keeps snowing. An inch or two of new snow is keeping the snowpack very dangerous. Since Saturday, 1.5” of snow water equivalent fell, measuring a foot and a half of snow. Avalanches can be triggered from hundreds of feet away and getting caught could be deadly. Our advice is simple: don’t get into or underneath any avalanche terrain. The avalanche danger is rated HIGH on all slopes. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>A large avalanche on Henderson Mountain in Cooke City was seen yesterday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30222"><span><span><span><strong><span… and photos</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). It likely occurred the night before or yesterday morning and we are unsure of the trigger. No matter. This avalanche illustrates why we are worried: the snowpack is on edge, it is slow to adjust to even the smallest amount of snow, and remains very unstable for a long period of time. Read </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><u><span><span>The Last Word</span></span></u></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> at the end of the advisory for an explanation on these unusual conditions.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On Sunday, Alex and Dave triggered a slide at Lionhead (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSked07bAY8&amp;lc=UgwOJBQp1Ujv-9h17St4…;) and a similar avalanche could occur today. Slopes that have added weight from previous wind-loading are extra susceptible to avalanching, just like the slide on Henderson Mountain. Last night, we were sent </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30233"><span><span><span><strong><span… photos</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> of recent slides in Cooke City, even more evidence of the snowpack’s danger.&nbsp; I recommend staying off slopes steeper than 30 degrees and being extra careful traveling under slopes.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is HIGH on previously wind-loaded slopes and CONSIDERABLE on all others.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The snowpack in the Bridger, Madison and Gallatin Ranges remains weak and unstable. Even days after a storm the danger remains elevated. An unusually weak snowpack is creating unusual avalanche conditions. Slopes can be triggered from far away as Dave discovered on Buck Ridge on Sunday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/jDOAJ1yGmGk"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;) and others on </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30123"><span><span><span><strong><span… Mountain</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30129"><span><span><span><strong><span… Peak</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. And let’s not forget </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30161"><span><span><span><strong><span… Peak</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, where a skier triggered a large avalanche far below the ridge. Dave and I turned around on the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/13952"><span><span><span><span><span><…; in the northern Bridger Range because we were worried about triggering a slide far above us (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/ZaeaIBk64uM?feature=share"><span><span><span…;). The backcountry is dangerous and will remain so for a while. Karl Birkeland, avalanche scientist, wrote, “This snowpack is gonna take a LONG time to stabilize every time it gets loaded. Have patience. This snowpack is unlikely to get completely better until it's melted and heading down the rivers in the spring!” Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but likely true nonetheless. Read </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><u><span><span>The Last Word</span></span></u></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> at the end of the advisory for an explanation on these unusual conditions.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>If you go into avalanche terrain it’s likely you’ll trigger a slide today. Consequently, the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>