Advisory Archive

The mountains have a patchy distribution of 4-10” of snow above 8,000’ (photo and weather log). More snow and freezing temperatures are forecast for this weekend and early next week. Temperatures will be in the 40s F on Friday and cool through the weekend to highs in the 20s-30s F and lows in the teens-20s F. By Monday the mountains near Bozeman, Big Sky and Cooke City will have 6-16” of new snow.

Check our weather stations in Cooke City and Hyalite for hourly temperature and wind data, and you can find snowfall data via SNOTEL sites throughout our advisory area.

Spring weather can be highly variable and create a mix of avalanche problems to watch out for. Snow conditions and stability can change drastically from day to day or hour to hour. Anticipate rapid change and plan accordingly. Abundant snowfall over the winter with more spring snow to come makes avalanches possible into summer.

Since Friday the mountains got 10-15” of snow (0.8-1.5” SWE). Yesterday wind was gusty out of the northwest to north at 10-20 mph with gusts of 30-40 mph. This morning temperatures are single digits to low teens F and wind is northeast at 5-15 mph. Today through Wednesday temperatures will reach mid-20s F during the day with low temperatures overnight in the teens F, and wind will be easterly increasing to 20-30 mph tonight. Skies will be mostly clear with increasing clouds this afternoon and 1-2” of snow possible tonight and 3-5” possible Tuesday. The second half of the week will be warmer, drier and mostly sunny. High temperatures will reach 40s F by Thursday with overnight low temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s F next weekend.

Temperatures the past two nights were below or near freezing, 20s to mid-30s F, under mostly clear skies. Since Monday the mountains got a few scattered showers and a couple inches of snow. This morning wind is west-southwest at 10-20 mph, and this weekend wind will be westerly at 15-25 mph. Today temperatures will reach 40s F, and tonight cool to 20s F.

Through the weekend temperatures will cool with daytime highs in the 20s to 30s F and overnight lows in the teens F by Sunday. A front this morning will bring heavy precipitation to start a period of cool and wet weather. Scattered showers are expected through the weekend with rain late Saturday turning to snow at lower elevations on Sunday. By tomorrow morning 3-5” of new snow is possible above 8,000’, and by Monday an additional 5-10” is possible.

On Saturday rain fell up to 10,000’ with more than 1” of water in the Bridger Range and up to 0.5” near Big Sky and Cooke City. Sunday morning temperatures dropped to low 30s F and the mountains received 3-5” of snow. This morning temperatures are high 20s F and wind has been easterly at 5-15 mph. Today temperatures will reach 40s F under clearing skies, and wind will shift westerly at 5-10 mph.

Through the next week daytime high temperatures will be near 50 F with overnight lows near 30 F, and wind will be westerly at 10-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Expect mostly clear, dry weather with increased cloud cover Wednesday through the second half of the week. Cooler, wet weather is expected next weekend.

The mountains received 4-6” of snow Monday through Wednesday with westerly wind at 20-40 mph Wednesday evening. Yesterday temperatures reached high 40s to 50s F under clear skies. This morning under partly cloudy skies temperatures are mid-30s to mid-40s F, and wind is west-northwest at 15-25 mph.

Today will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the high 40s to 50s F and westerly wind at 15-25 mph. Clouds will increase overnight with temperatures in the 30s F, and there is a chance for precipitation Saturday afternoon. Early Sunday scattered rain showers will turn to snow with temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s F, and wind will shift easterly at 20-30 mph. By Monday 3-6” of new snow is possible in the mountains.

Since Friday the mountains received 8-11” of dense snow (0.8-1.3” of Snow Water Equivalent) near Big Sky, Bozeman and West Yellowstone, and 14” (1.6” of SWE) near Cooke City. This morning temperatures are high 20s to low 30s F and wind is northwest at 15-30 mph. Today will be mostly cloudy with temperatures reach 40 F. Winds will be southwest at wind at 15-30 mph. Snow showers are likely with accumulations of 1-2” today. Another round of snowfall is expected Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday. The end of the week will be dry and warm.

Since Wednesday the mountains received 4-6” of snow near Big Sky and the Bridger Range, 10” in Hyalite, 1” near Cooke City and zero near West Yellowstone. This morning temperatures are teens to low 20s F and wind is northwest at 10-20 mph. Today temperatures will reach mid-30s F with northerly wind at 5-15 mph. Scattered snow showers are likely with minimal accumulation today. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with increasing clouds into Sunday. This weekend temperatures will reach mid-30s F with overnight lows in the 20s F, and wind will shift west-southwest at 10-20 mph. Snow is expected Late Sunday with 2-4” possible by Monday morning.

Since yesterday morning the mountains around Bozeman and Big Sky picked up 8-12” of high density snow. The mountains around West Yellowstone and Cooke City picked up 4-8”. Reports from Cooke City indicate snow totals are likely much higher above 9,000’.

At 5 a.m., temperatures range from the upper teens to mid-20s F and winds are blowing 10-20 mph out of the west-northwest. Cloudy skies and light snow showers are likely this morning with an additional 1-2” of snow possible by this afternoon. Snow lets up later in the day and skies become partly to mostly cloudy. Temps warm to the upper 20s to low 30s and winds remain light to moderate out of the west-northwest.

Lows tonight drop well below freezing and no significant accumulation is expected over the next 24 hours. There is a chance the sun will poke out tomorrow increasing the possibility of wet snow avalanches.

Since yesterday the snow line has been around 8,000’ and the mountains received 0.5 to 1.2” of water. This equals up to one foot of snow at higher elevations (snow water equivalent). The highest amounts are near Cooke City and the Bridger Range (1.0-1.2” SWE). Elsewhere got about half (0.5-0.7” SWE). Yesterday wind was 30-55 mph out of the southwest to west with temperatures in the 30s F.

Today temperatures will remain in the 30s F, and by Wednesday temperatures will cool to highs in the 20s F and lows in the teens F. Today and tomorrow wind will be 20-30 mph out of the west to southwest, and wind will shift north-northwest late Tuesday and Wednesday. Heavy precipitation will continue Tuesday through Wednesday and the snow level will drop from around 8,000’ to near 6,500’ as temperatures cool later in the week. Higher elevations are likely to receive 2-3 feet of snow by Thursday morning.

Wind and precipitation, whether rain or snow, create heightened avalanche conditions. The storm just began yesterday and skiers triggered small slab avalanches in Beehive (details) and near Cooke City (details). Avalanches will grow in size and likelihood as more snow and rain falls. Dangerous avalanche conditions will develop today and through the week. Be conservative. Avoid steep slopes and be cautious of travel underneath steep slopes. See below for general spring travel advice.

SHARE YOUR AVALANCHE OBSERVATIONS

We will update our weather and avalanche log daily through April. It is a valuable resource for backcountry travelers through winter and spring. If you have any avalanche observations, please share them with us to include in this database. Contact us via our website, email (mtavalanche@gmail.com), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).