Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mountains around Big Sky to Lionhead and Cooke City have a widespread weak layer buried ½ to 2 feet deep. In some places it is small feathery crystals (surface hoar) and in others it is small sugary grains (near-surface facets), but the actual type does not matter. On some slopes this layer is breaking in stability tests and on Sunday skiers </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://mtavalanche.com/node/27665"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><… small avalanches above Hebgen Lake</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> on it. Yesterday, Ian toured in this area and found the layer as </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/ydVB2hUsvYA"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… and I did in Island Park</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> a few miles away. In both cases we were unable to get it to break in our tests, but we do not trust it. Ian explained in his </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/TV7IXE41Skg"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> how we do not want to get lured into dangerous terrain. Because this layer is not very deep, it requires minimal digging to look and test for it (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/jQg8gqFqn1M"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…’s Beehive video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Although its distribution is widespread, the layer is not found on every slope which makes it risky to rally around and hope for the best. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Other concerns: new snow sluffs yesterday triggered a small slab avalanche in Cooke City (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/23/fresh-slab-avalanches-cooke"><spa…;), and weak, sugary snow, many inches thick, could be triggered from shallow areas of a slope.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mountains harbor a weak layer that can produce avalanches. In the absence of avalanche activity, shooting cracks and whumpfs, we are left with either avoiding avalanche terrain or digging and testing to see if this layer is present. If you don’t find it, dig again and again before committing to avalanche terrain. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For today, the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE on all slopes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the mountains around Bozeman the snowpack has a poor structure: weak snow near the ground underlies denser slabs. Yesterday, skiers on Ross Peak in the Bridger Range turned around when they got their stability test to dramatically break on this layer (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27697"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). Additionally, there are other weak layers that could break, the most prominent about 1 foot deep, that </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/UhWH5MvlW84"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… found on Mt Blackmore</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> on Saturday. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Without obvious signs of instability, we have to dig to find out what is under our feet. Stability tests show us when it is bad, not when it is good. It’s our last check before getting into avalanche terrain, and as the skiers on Ross Peak found, a little extra investigative work can be worthwhile.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For today the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE on all slopes.</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). </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span> Island Park has a weak layer buried 1-2 feet deep. In some places it is small feathery crystals (surface hoar) and in others it is small sugary grains. In the absence of avalanche activity, shooting cracks and whumpfs, we are left with either avoiding avalanche terrain or digging and testing to see if this layer is present. Check out our </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://mtavalanche.com/node/27701"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><… video and read our observations</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><strong><span><span> </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>from Arange Peak area yesterday to get a handle on what is happening.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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Upcoming Avalanche Education and Events
Our education calendar is full of awareness lectures and field courses. Check it out: Events and Education Calendar.
