23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>We are continuing an Avalanche Warning in the southern Gallatin and southern Madison Ranges, the Lionhead area and Island Park. Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Island Park received a foot of new snow with 50+ mph wind gusts. The southern mountains, including West Yellowstone picked up another 6”. It has been snowing since Friday with Island Park receiving a total of 28” (3” </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observat… water equivalent</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>) and 18” in Lionhead and the southern mountains (1.6-2” </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observat…;). The snowpack is weak and unstable and the weight of the new snow will cause widespread avalanches. It is still snowing and blowing. On Monday, Dave and I threaded our way up Bacon Rind and triggered collapses and wide cracks every time we stepped off the skin track (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/zcBGHzPcXtw"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…; and </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30508"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). More snow since then is keeping the backcountry dangerous and triggering a deadly avalanche is very likely. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><u><span><span>Today is a day to avoid being on or underneath avalanche terrain</span></span></u></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. The avalanche danger is HIGH.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Since Friday, the mountains around Bozeman, Big Sky, and Cooke City have been incrementally loading every day with a total snowfall of&nbsp; 8-12” (0.8-1.2” of </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/snowpack-observat…;). Avalanche activity early in the week in </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30495"><span><span><span><strong><span… Basin</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and in the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30517"><span><span><span><strong><span… Range</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> point to a snowpack with poor stability. In Cooke City, Alex has been skiing and riding and found a dangerous snowpack both north (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/c7XwPvZ93ZU?feature=share"><span><span><span…;) and south (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/uJXOKijsY38?feature=share"><span><span><span…;) of town. A sledder confirmed the poor stability when he triggered a slide in “The Plug” on Highway 212 east of town (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30537"><span><span><span><strong><span… and photo</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ian and I skied into Beehive Basin yesterday. The snowfall since Friday has doubled the slab depth above our problematic December weak layers (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/doG4m6lbQqY?feature=share"><span><span><span…; and </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30528"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). Traveling in avalanche terrain is dangerous. As it keeps snowing it will get easier to trigger slides 1-2 feet deep. Passing beneath steep slopes is not advised as collapses warn us that we can trigger slides from flat ground. The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>