22-23

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>A person can trigger avalanches that break on weak layers buried 1-4 feet deep, or avalanches that involve recently wind-drifted snow. Yesterday, on Buck Ridge near Big Sky a snowboarder triggered a small avalanche on a wind-loaded slope and was partially buried to their waist (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/23/snowboarder-caught-small-slide"><…;), and Skiers in the northern Bridger Range saw a recent large natural avalanche that broke 1-2 feet deep and 100 feet wide (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/23/snowboarder-caught-small-slide"><…;). Two days ago, a very large avalanche on Saddle Peak broke 550 feet wide and almost 2 feet deep on a buried weak layer (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/23/crown-close-saddle-peak"><span><s… of crown up close</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). It caught and partially buried a person who was hitting a jump in the runout zone (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27536"><span><span><span><strong><span… and details</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Carefully assess the snowpack for buried weak layers and avoid steep slopes where you suspect they exist. Buried weak layers are not consistently showing instability in our snowpack tests, but avalanche activity over the past week is a clear sign that large avalanches can be triggered. The fatal avalanche last weekend near Cooke City should provide good motivation to take buried weak layers seriously (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/accident/22/12/31"><span><span><span><stron… report</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Be extra cautious of wind-loaded slopes and slopes where snow depth is variable where a large avalanche may be triggered from a relatively shallow spot. Look for cracks across the snow surface around your skis or sled as a sign that recently drifted snow remains unstable.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today, human-triggered avalanches are possible and the avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>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).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In Island Park a person can trigger avalanches that break deep and wide on buried weak layers, or avalanches that involve recently wind-drifted snow. Carefully assess the snowpack for buried weak layers and avoid steep slopes where you suspect they exist.&nbsp; If snow starts to accumulate early today, fresh drifts may form that could avalanche. Look for cracks across the snow surface around your skis or sled as a sign that drifted snow is unstable.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>