23-24

<p>Warm temperatures, wind-loading, and the possibility of rain and snow later in the week will drive avalanche problems through Friday. As Alex outlined in his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJm0MFOeqCA&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvSH326z…; from the Bridger Range, be flexible with your travel plans because conditions can rapidly fluctuate between stability and instability in the spring.</p>

<p>Wet snow avalanches will be the primary concern on most slopes. These will generally occur as wet loose slides that start at a point and spread as they gather snow (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/31834"><strong><span>recent examples from the Bridger Range</span></strong></a>). The probability of larger and more destructive wet slab avalanches will increase as nighttime lows remain above freezing and daytime highs climb mid-week. Last week, melt-water moved through the snowpack, and riders in the Taylor Fork (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/31856"><strong><span>photos and details</span></strong></a>) and the Northern Gallatin Range (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/31874"><strong><span>photos and details</span></strong></a>) remotely triggered wet slab avalanches that broke on weak faceted snow near the ground, and a similar slide broke naturally on Mt. Abundance near Cooke City (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/31866"><strong><span>details and photos</span></strong></a>). These were a good reminder that avalanches can still fail deep within the snowpack.</p>

<p>There is a chance of rain on Thursday and Friday. Besides being unpleasant for travel, rain on snow will destabilize the snowpack. Thankfully, identifying wet snow instability is relatively easy. Avoid travel on steep slopes if it is raining (because… yuck!), get on to the snow early in the day when surface-level crusts are supportable and get off before the crust breaks down and more than the upper few inches become slushy and wet. Ensure a safe egress route, as conditions often deteriorate more quickly at lower elevations.</p>

<p>Relatively small dry snow avalanches are possible on upper-elevation slopes that remain shady and cool. This weekend, skiers outside the advisory in the Tobacco Root Mountains triggered a small wind-slab avalanche on a high, north-facing run (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/31891"><strong><span>details</span></s…;). Small avalanches in technical or extreme terrain can be deadly if they push backcountry travelers off cliffs or into trees and gullies. If the upper snowpack is dry, dig down and back off steep objectives if you find instability in your tests, observe shooting cracks or indications of fresh wind-loading.</p>

<p><span>Remain diligent with your snowpack assessments and route-finding, and adapt your decision-making to changing conditions.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></p>