22-23

<p><span><span><span>Northwest-west wind is drifting new snow into thicker slabs. These wind slabs can avalanche under the weight of a person and add weight to buried weak layers which makes large, human-triggered avalanches likely on wind-loaded slopes. Weak layers of sugary facets and feathery surface hoar are buried 1-3 feet below last weekend’s snow and contributed to human-triggered avalanches as recently as Thursday and Friday. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span>Recent avalanches include two skier triggered (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27963"><strong><span>details 1</span></strong></a>, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27980"><strong><span>details 2</span></strong></a>) and one snowmobile triggered near Big Sky (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28009">details and video</a></strong>). Last Friday near Cooke City, a skier triggered a slide and was partially buried to their waist on Fisher Mountain (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27986"><strong><span>details</span></s…;), and a rider triggered a small slide near Mt. Abundance (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27978"><strong><span>details</span></s…;). I found buried surface hoar in the northern Gallatin Range on Friday (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ9aWLM7J2A&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvTi1DBS…;) and near Big Sky on Saturday (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zNtBZuvEWw&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvTi1DBS…;). Yesterday near Cooke City I found a thick layer of weak facets buried a foot deep that probably contributed to the recent skier triggered slide on Fisher (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhCVFXtNsKg&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvTi1DBS… video</span></strong></a>).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span>Today, slopes that have fresh drifts of snow are dangerous and should be avoided. On non-wind loaded slopes avalanches are less likely, but still possible. Carefully evaluate snowpack stability and only ride or cross steep slopes if you are sure there are no buried weak layers or fresh drifts. Today the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on wind-loaded slopes and MODERATE on non-wind loaded slopes. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span>Please share avalanche, snowpack or weather observations via our<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_obs"&gt; </a><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_obs"><strong><span>website</s…;, email (<strong>mtavalanche@gmail.com</strong>), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs). &nbsp;</span></span></span></p>

<p>Northwest-west wind is drifting new snow into thicker slabs. These wind slabs can avalanche under the weight of a person and add weight to buried weak layers which makes large, human-triggered avalanches likely on wind-loaded slopes. Slopes that have fresh drifts of snow are dangerous and should be avoided. On non-wind loaded slopes avalanches are less likely, but still possible. Carefully evaluate snowpack stability and only ride steep slopes if you are sure there are no buried weak layers or fresh drifts.</p>