22-23

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Cooke City is getting hammered by snow and wind. In the last 48 hours 20” of snow fell (1.2” </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/null/?cid=nrcseprd1314… water equivalent</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, SWE) and SW wind gusting to 47 mph. Triggering avalanches is likely today. Any avalanche is bad news and triggering a slide deep in the snowpack is even worse. Ian and Dave are in Cooke City, and yesterday they were skeptical about getting onto steep terrain (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/B1BjS3G4ZWA"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;), and today they must be downright worried. Besides new snow avalanche danger they found weak, faceted snow buried 4-5 feet deep that could be triggered if a skier or rider hit a thin area of the slope. We recommend staying out of avalanche terrain as the danger is rated CONSIDERABLE. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the last 24 hours the Lionhead area picked up 10” of snow (.4-.5” SWE). Wind is strong and drifting snow. Yesterday, I skied above Hebgen Lake and found a poor snowpack structure which is similar to many slopes in our forecast area (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/RNMts6wt0JQ"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;). Weak, faceted snow is underneath thicker slabs, a real-world jenga tower. Today’s snow and wind-drifting will make it likely to trigger avalanches. Stay clear of drifts and look for signs of instability like whumpfing (collapsing) as you ride or ski, or shooting cracks, both telltale signs that you are very close to triggering a slide. For today, the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on all slopes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>At 6 a.m. the Bridger Range had 5” of snow, 3” around Big Sky and 1” in Hyalite. Wind is SW-W at 30-50+ mph. Yesterday a skier noticed a shallow wind-slab avalanche in Beehive Basin (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27278"><span><span><span><strong><span…;) from recent wind-loading. Another concern is a weak layer of faceted snow in the bottom half of the snowpack. Dave and I were in Beehive/Bear Basins on Sunday and agreed that although the facets are widespread, their instability is not.&nbsp; However, an unlucky person could trigger a slide on these facets. Others reached a similar conclusion on Divide Peak on Monday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27263"><span><span><span><strong><span…;), as well as Ian and Alex in the northern Bridger Range on Saturday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/DbeAdSSJUqM"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;). New snow and wind will create dangerous conditions, especially on slopes that are wind-loaded. Look for signs of instability and dig, test and assess the snowpack. Slopes that were stable yesterday might not be today. For today, the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on wind-loaded slopes and MODERATE on all others.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>If you get out, 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).&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the last 24 hours 4” of snow has fallen. Wind is also strong and drifting snow.&nbsp; Weak, faceted snow is underneath thicker slabs and wind-drifting adds weight on top of the weak snow. Triggering avalanches on these slopes is likely. Stay clear of thicker drifts and tune in to signs of instability like whumpfing (collapsing) as you ride or ski, or shooting cracks, both telltale signs that you can trigger a slide.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>