20-21

<p>Yesterday in Hyalite, an ice climber was saved by an ice screw placement from being knocked off the wall by a small wind slab triggered by a group above (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/23524">details here</a></strong>). Luckily, nobody was injured. Strong west-southwest wind over the last 48 hours drifted recent snow into slabs overlying a weak snowpack, and created dangerous avalanche conditions on wind-loaded slopes. Since Thursday the mountains received a series of small storms which totaled 0.5-1.0” of <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/or/snow/?cid=nrcs142p2… water equivalent</a> (SWE). On a typical snowpack this gradual load would cause little concern, but this season’s weak, sugary snowpack can’t be trusted. Our videos from the last two days in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Ppy9Eyy_4&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvQDzKmH… Basin</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewdpClMTkwU&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvQDzKmH… Fork</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ihnOqeMkLc&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvQDzKmH… Peak</a> show the poor snowpack structure that exists in the mountains near Bozeman, Big Sky and West Yellowstone. Our <strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/avalanche-activity">avalanche activity log</a></strong> lists many warning signs of the potential to trigger avalanches on sugary, persistent weak layers.</p>

<p>Today large avalanches can be triggered, and are likely on slopes where strong wind over the last 48 hours concentrated the weight of recent snow into thick slabs. Avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on wind-loaded slopes and MODERATE on non-wind loaded slopes. Avoid steep, wind-loaded slopes and anticipate danger to rise if more snow falls this afternoon.</p>

<p>Near Cooke City, avalanches are possible on wind-loaded slopes where moderate to strong westerly winds drifted snow into fresh slabs. On Saturday on Abiathar Peak, skiers triggered a couple wind slabs that could have been harmful, and they luckily avoided being caught (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/23512"><strong>photo and details</strong></a>). Yesterday skiers found fresh slabs that cracked 8-16” deep (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/23525">details</a></strong&gt;).</p>

<p>Avoid slopes with evidence of recent wind-loading and carefully assess the snowpack before riding steep slopes. The snowpack near Cooke City is deeper and generally lacks widespread buried weak layers. However, a couple avalanches in the last week show that there are a few slopes where buried weak layers exist (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/23505"><strong>photo and details</strong></a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/UEY5A4YXibg"><strong>video</strong></a&gt;). Today avalanche danger is MODERATE on wind-loaded slopes and LOW on non-wind loaded slopes.</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong>website<…;, email (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong>mtavalanche@gmail.com</strong></a…;), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>