21-22

<p>Triggering large and dangerous avalanches is <strong><em>likely</em></strong> today on all steep slopes. Two ft of new snow fell in the last 48 hours (2.6” of <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/null/?cid=nrcseprd1314… Water Equivalent</u></a>). Close to 3 ft fell in the last 5 days (3.3” of SWE). Strong winds are building deep drifts. Wind-loaded slopes have been pushed past their breaking point and are avalanching naturally (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/25431"><strong><u>details</u></strong>…; on 6 natural avalanches on Wall Mountain). A rider yesterday triggered a 2 ft deep slide that broke 100 ft wide while digging out his stuck sled, thankfully he is okay (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/25432"><strong><u>details</u></strong>…;). Conditions are very dangerous on all slopes - we just barely missed the criteria for issuing an avalanche warning. Today is a day to avoid avalanche terrain including the runout zones beneath slide paths. You could trigger a slide from below or it could break naturally above you. The avalanche danger is HIGH on wind-loaded slopes and CONSIDERABLE on all others.</p>

<p>Very strong winds continue to build huge, unstable drifts. Expect to find drifts in unusual places and to trigger avalanches in those drifts or on deeper weak layers. Stay off of and out from under all steep, windloaded slopes to avoid triggering a slide. Slopes without drifted snow are less worrisome, but with extreme wind speeds these slopes are few and far between and hard to confidently identify.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Weak layers near the ground have also been loaded by the new snow and could avalanche today. Riders in Taylor Fork on Thursday got audible collapses on these layers on small slopes. On larger or steeper slopes it would have avalanched. The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on wind-loaded slopes and MODERATE on all others.</p>

<p>Winds have been intense but there is less recent snow near Bozeman and Big Sky. Still - be skeptical of wind drifts. There were numerous small avalanches in the Bridger Range on Thursday, many slopes have stabilized since then but some have not (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/22/small-new-snow-slide-west-bridger…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/22/new-snow-slide-throne-2"><strong>…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/22/new-snow-slide-throne-1"><strong>…;). Before riding a steep slope, make sure that any wind drifted snow is either very thin or well bonded and that there are not unstable weak layers lower in the pack. The avalanche danger is MODERATE because human triggered avalanches are possible.</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong><u>websi…;, email (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong><u>mtavalanche@gmail.com</u></str…;), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>