22-23

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Triggering large avalanches remains possible today. Heavy snowfall at the end of last week and strong winds the last couple days pushed weak layers past their breaking point. Many large, natural and human triggered avalanches broke over the last week, including a skier triggered slide on a wind loaded slope near Big Sky yesterday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27962"><span><span><span><strong><span…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><span><span><span… log</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). As we get further out from the big storm, it is getting harder to trigger a slide, but it is clearly still possible to trigger one, and if you do, it’ll still be large and dangerous. Strong winds the last few days blew the new snow around and kept the hazard elevated on the many slopes where drifts developed. Be extra skeptical today of slopes with recent wind drifting.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>You could trigger slides on weak layers buried 1-3 ft deep and also near the ground (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITX7Ic3eFYM"><span><span><span><strong>…. Bridgers video from yesterday</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). In some areas these weak layers are buried surface hoar, in others they are facets, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of difference at the moment - dig and test the layers to see how they are reacting in the area you’re in. Areas that had a thin snowpack before the recent storm remain especially concerning (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27960"><span><span><span><strong><span… Creek observation</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1HCGdyzt0E"><span><span><span><strong>…. Ellis video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>)</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Keep your eyes out for signs of instability such as recent avalanches, poor test scores and whumpfs and be ready to shift gears and avoid steep slopes if you find them. If you’re going to poke into avalanche terrain, make sure you’re carrying rescue gear (beacon, shovel, and probe), going one at a time, and have a partner watching you from a safe location.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger rating has dropped to MODERATE today across the advisory area. This reflects the fact that avalanches have gotten a little harder to trigger, but does not represent a dramatic decrease in the hazard. Riding steep slopes still merits caution and requires careful snowpack assessment.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

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