24-25
Small natural windslab along Beehive Ridgeline around noon on 12/18. It broke up to around a foot deep, 20 ft wide, and ran about 15 vertical feet. Photo: GNFAC.
Avalanche Details: Small windslab along Beehive Ridge
Northern Madison, 2024-12-18
Poor test score on divide peak
Date
Activity
Snowboarding
I toured to the East shoulder of divide park today
It was very windy and snow was being transported everywhere…..especially on the high peaks
I dug a pit on the SE shoulder of divide at around 9600’ and got a ECTP 14 on the persistent weak created during the long dry spell layer buried from this weeks storms. 50cm of snow had fallen up high in the main fork of hyalite since Sunday night. Total snow depth is 115 cm
Region
Northern Gallatin
Location (from list)
Divide Peak
Windy in Beehive
Date
Activity
Skiing
Skinned up Beehive Basin, dug a pit on the edge of Tyler's and climbed up to the prayers flags. Winds picked up as we approached the ridge, moving quite a bit of snow. Skinned along the Beehive-Middle ridge for a little ways and then skied down towards Middle and skinned along above the rollover for a while. Dug a pit and returned the way we came.
Snowpit in Tyler's (W facing) was 80 cm deep, with an ECTP13 on the facets mid-pack. Snowpit on the Middle Basin side (E facing) was 120 cm deep, with an ECTP 14 on the facets mid-pack.
On our way back along the ridge we found a small natural windslab that had broken below the cornice during the hour since we had been there last - it broke up to around a foot deep, 20 ft wide, and ran about 15 vertical feet. This was the only avalanche we saw today.
Got a few little cracks in switchbacks along the skintrack while climbing out of Beehive, but no other cracking or collapsing.
Region
Northern Madison
Location (from list)
Beehive Basin
Observer Name
Ian Hoyer and Mark Staples
Wind Slabs near Cooke City
Date
Activity
Snowboarding
Lots of wind slabs south of Cooke today. Strong wind all day and lots of blowing snow.
Region
Cooke City
Location (from list)
Woody Ridge
Observer Name
Noah Mattes
Plumes of drifting snow in the Bridger Range as strong winds blasted the mountains. Photo: GNFAC
The clouds broke briefly around noon on Tuesday in Cooke City. Two sections of the face on the Fin slid, one from the top, and one lower and to the right. Photo: N. Mattes
Avalanche Details: Natural Avalanche on the Fin
Cooke City, 2024-12-18
Natural Avalanche on the Fin
Republic Mountain
Cooke City
Code
SS-N-R2-D2
Elevation
9800
Aspect
E
Latitude
45.00500
Longitude
-109.95700
Notes
The clouds broke briefly around noon today in Cooke City. It looks like the Fin slide naturally in the past day or so (12/15 or 12/16). It looks like two sections of the face slid, one from the top, and one lower and to the right in the photo.
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Natural trigger
R size
2
D size
2
Images
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Wed Dec 18, 2024
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p>Dangerous avalanche conditions exist across the advisory area. New and wind-drifted snow are adding weight to persistent weak layers buried 1-2.5 feet deep. The mountains have received snow for the last four days straight, with 1-2” in the last 24 hours. Today, strong winds gusting to 60 mph will transport recent snow, thicken slabs over weak layers, and build unstable drifts at all elevations.</p>
<p><strong>Four-Day Storm Totals: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Bridger Range, Cooke City, Island Park and Big Sky - 15-23” (1.4-2.1” SWE)</li>
<li>West Yellowstone, Taylor Fork and Hyalite Canyon - 9-14” (0.8-1.4” SWE)</li>
</ul>
<p>The threat of <strong>persistent slab avalanches</strong> is our primary concern, with human-triggered slides likely on steep slopes. Yesterday, Ian and his partners triggered an avalanche on a steep slope while they were still 200 feet away at Buck Ridge (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32490"><strong><span>details and media</span></strong></a>). In the Centennial Range, Mark traveled “really carefully, avoiding avalanche terrain” because of a weak layer of facets buried 1-2 feet deep throughout the range (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xSA_C9cPuc"><strong><span>video</span>…;), and in Cooke City, I triggered <em>whumphing </em>collapses (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4zYmfj_6E"><strong><span>video</span>…;). Recent avalanches, whumphs, and shooting cracks communicate instability. Heed the message and minimize your exposure to steep terrain.</p>
<p><strong>Wind slab avalanches </strong>failing 1-3 feet deep are likely. Their distribution will be widespread and atypical as strong winds rip through recent snow. Yesterday, we saw clear examples of wind-loaded terrain near Cooke City with large drifts at ridgelines and gullies. Similar images can be found across the advisory area (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/24/cross-loading-henderson-mountain"…; </strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/24/cross-loading-miller-ridge"><stro… 2</span></strong></a>). Beyond recent avalanche activity, shooting cracks and a stiffening of the snow surface indicate unstable wind slabs.</p>
<p><strong>Notable Recent Avalanche Activity Since Sunday </strong>(More at <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/avalanche-activity"><strong><span>Avalanche log</span></strong></a>)<strong>: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>A remotely triggered avalanche at Buck Ridge slid on a steep slope 200 feet away from a group of riders (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32430"><strong><span>details and photos</span></strong></a>)</li>
<li>Two recent avalanches in McAtee Basin (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32498"><strong><span>details and photos</span></strong></a>)</li>
<li>An intentionally triggered slide that broke up to 2 feet deep near Ross Peak in the Bridger Range (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32487"><strong><span>details and photo</span></strong></a>)</li>
<li>Many natural avalanches on Saddle Peak and in Argentina Bowl (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32464"><strong><span>details</span></s…;)</li>
<li>Remotely triggered wind slab avalanche on Henderson (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32441"><strong><span>details</span></s…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32474"><strong><span>GNFAC video and ob</span></strong></a>)</li>
<li>Small snowmobiler-triggered avalanche at Buck Ridge (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32513"><strong><span>details and photo</span></strong></a>)</li>
<li>Persistent slab avalanche near Island Park (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32422"><strong><span>details</span></s…;)</li>
<li>Collapsing, cracking, and a remotely triggered storm snow avalanche in Beehive (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32423"><strong><span>details</span></s…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32438"><strong><span>details</span></s…;)</li>
<li>Skier triggered storm slab avalanche on The Throne (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32444"><strong><span>details</span></s…;)</li>
</ul>
<p>Today, seek out smaller, lower-consequence terrain and slopes sheltered from the effects of the wind. Recreating in terrain less than 30 degrees without steeper terrain above largely eliminates the risk of avalanches. Safer travel in and around avalanche terrain requires careful route-finding and snowpack assessment. The avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.</p>
Upcoming Avalanche Education and Events
Our education calendar is full of awareness lectures and field courses. Check it out: Events and Education Calendar