24-25

Date

Fri, 03/21/2025 - 17:25

Activity

Skiing

Took a quick trip up Beehive Basin to the prayer flags, down into the meadows towards Bear Basin and returned the way we came.

Found around 4" of new snow from yesterday. There were scoured areas near the ridgeline on the west face, but we didn't find any cohesive wind drifts.

We dug two quick pits on the east facing terrain dropping towards Bear Basin. In our upper pit (NE aspect, 9200 ft), we found a layer of small facets (1 mm) buried a foot down, under the snow that has fallen in the past week. It didn't react in our Extended Column Test (ECTN25), but we hadn't had any reports of these facets previously, so it was a little bit surprising. We dug again, a little lower (~8900) to see if we would find it again, but it didn't exist in that location (instead there was a stout melt-freeze crust under this weeks snow).

There was a thin, breakable, melt-freeze crust under yesterday's 4" of new snow on any slope that wasn't a little shaded. Slopes with a northward tilt, or in the shade of trees, didn't have the breakable crust.

Despite high clouds, the snow surface was starting to get damp in the early afternoon and there were roller balls beneath our ski tracks. We saw a fresh wet loose slide on an low elevation west facing slope in Bear Basin.

Otherwise, we saw no signs of instability.

Region

Northern Madison

Location (from list)

Beehive Basin

Observer Name

Ian Hoyer

Looking for surprises, Beehive Basin - 21 March 2025

Read more about Looking for surprises, Beehive Basin - 21 March 2025

Unstable test result Centennial range

Date

Fri, 03/21/2025 - 14:25

Activity

Snowmobiling

From text message: “I was out with a friend and his 2 daughters. We were east of Jefferson 8990’ elevation. East aspect ECTP 22. Down 78cm from surface. Melt freeze layer I would describe as breaking up?? garbage.”

Region

Island Park

Location (from list)

CENTENNIAL RANGE

Observer Name

Kevin Allred

GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Mar 21, 2025

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion

Around West Yellowstone, Island Park and Cooke City, 3-4” of new snow yesterday along with strong gusty winds built touchy wind slabs that will be easily triggered today. Riders in Island Park yesterday reported heavy snowfall, strong winds, and touchy wind slabs and cornices (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34706"><…;). Wind Slab avalanches are most likely to break in the newly formed drifts, but could also break into deeper drifts from the multiple feet of snow that fell last weekend. These drifts are mostly at upper elevations, below ridgelines and cornices.

In addition to wind drifts, near West Yellowstone, you could also trigger a slide on deeper persistent weak layers. You aren’t super likely to trigger a Persistent Slab avalanche today as we’ve only had two reports of these slides in the last three weeks. But, the snowmobile triggered slide in the Taylor Fork on Wednesday shows it is clearly still possible (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34697"><span…;). Thinner snowpacks at mid-elevations seem to be the prime suspects for these slides.

Today, wind loaded slopes have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. All other slopes have a MODERATE danger.

The Big Sky area was the big winner in yesterday’s snowfall, with up to 8” of new snow. Fresh wind slabs will be up to a couple feet deep and easily triggered today. Keep your eyes out for signs of wind drifting and plan to avoid steep wind-drifted slopes. Pay careful attention to the texture of the snow beneath your feet or sled if you’re riding steep slopes that don’t seem wind affected. Cracks shooting out in front of you mean that the snow is in fact drifted and you need to get out of steep terrain ASAP.

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded slopes. Slopes sheltered from the wind have good stability and a LOW danger.

Less new snow fell in the mountains around Bozeman, so fresh wind slabs will be smaller and less widespread. Look for the same signs of wind drifting and be ready to back off steep slopes if you find unstable drifts. A skier caught and carried 100 ft on Wednesday in the Bridgers is a good reminder of the power of even a relatively small slide (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34703"><span… and video</a>). Slopes at higher elevations, beneath ridgelines and cornices are where you’re most likely to run into issues.

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on windloaded slopes and LOW on all other slopes.

Read more about GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Mar 21, 2025

Weather and Avalanche Log for Fri Mar 21, 2025

Read more about Weather and Avalanche Log for Fri Mar 21, 2025

Read more about Texas Meadow Profile - 20 Mar 2025

Bridger Range, 2025-03-20

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Texas Meadow

Date

Thu, 03/20/2025 - 18:20

Activity

Skiing

Skied a lap on Texas Meadow north of Bridger this afternoon. There were about 2" of new snow from today and 10-12" settled new snow that fell since last Friday. A few moderate gusts moved snow, but wind was not generally light. There was minimal fresh drifting, limited to ridgelines and openings in the trees.

A lot of ski tracks off the ridge north of the ski area. Only small loose snow slides were triggered from what I could tell, under mostly cloudy skies.

Snowpit at 7700', NE aspect showed a 6 foot deep, stable snowpack (profile attached). New snow creates the main avalanche concern, mainly where it is drifted into stiffer slabs. Dry Loose snow avalanches are a second concern for now.

Region

Bridger Range

Location (from list)

Texas Meadow

Observer Name

Alex Marienthal