23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mountains surrounding Bozeman and Big Sky will have </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>wet avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> on sunny slopes. Today is windier than yesterday which could inhibit melting. I expect pinwheels and wet loose avalanches on all sunny slopes. If melting snow percolates water to the faceted snow 1.5-2 feet under the surface we would get large wet avalanches. Less wind or having the temperatures climb higher than predicted could quickly tip the balance toward wet instability. Wetting the top few inches of the snowpack is a sign the danger is rising. The wet snow avalanche danger could reach HIGH today.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Staying on high elevation, shady slopes will free you from the wet avalanche danger, but you’ll still have to contend with the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>dry snow instability</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>: weak, sugary facets capped with a 1.5-2 foot slab of snow. This interface breaks in our stability tests and avalanches are possible to trigger (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30347"><span><span><span><strong><span… Peak avalanche</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).&nbsp; Ian was in Frazier Basin yesterday and had to deal with the bi-polar nature of the snowpack: both wet and dry instability (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/GsL_adXQYr8?feature=share"><span><span><span…;). For today, the dry snow avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>If you go in the backcountry you will contend with both wet and dry avalanche danger. So what should you do? Have you tried mountain biking in Copper City? Joking aside, conditions for skiing and snowmobiling are marginal and the avalanche danger is real so stay away from wet, sunny slopes and be careful on shady, dry aspects. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mountains around West Yellowstone, Island Park and Cooke City will get pinwheels of snow from the sunny, warm weather (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/images/24/loose-wet-rasta-chutes"><span><spa…;), but these wet instabilities will be confined to the surface and not pose a significant danger. A person could trigger wet loose slides, but this hazard can be managed by avoiding slopes that get gloppy.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>dry snow avalanche danger</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> is the beast we are worried about. On Sunday, two natural avalanches on Henderson Ridge in Cooke City broke free (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/uKY34ndFmpw"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;), on Monday a snowmobiler was partially buried in a small slide (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/cn0lR8XMzl4"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;) at Round Lake, and ice climbers triggered a slide 150 feet away as they hiked in toward Pilot Peak (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30408"><span><span><span><strong><span>…;). In Island Park the clouds finally lifted and riders saw many slides from the previous week (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30396"><span><span><span><strong><span>…;).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The southern mountains share a similar snowpack. Our videos show the same thing over and over (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/p7JX_bhkjUA?feature=share"><span><span><span…’s video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). New snow and wind blown snow created 2+ feet thick slabs of snow that are sitting on a weak layer of sugary facets. All the avalanche activity is happening at this interface and triggering a slide is likely. Given the constant drumbeat of avalanches and collapsing, avoiding slopes steeper than 30 degrees is a safe tactic. The dry snow avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on all slopes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>