Small windslab triggered on approach for inspection. Failure interface had 5 mm Surface Hoar. Soft slab, remote propagation onto the adjacent slope. Debris covered about half of the road bed.
On December 15th, 2024 at 12:09 p.m., a skier in open ski area terrain was caught and buried by an avalanche in the Papa Bear region below Bridger Gully. The skier was, who was with a partner, was buried just below the snow surface and was able to punch a hole up through the top of the snow. The skier's partner and other members of the skiing public responded quickly and were able to extricate the uninjured skier.
Toured up to Midway meadows, observed no cracking or collapsing. We found no propagation in our ECT at 8600' on a E aspect with HS 70cm. Found preserved buried surface hoar approximately 15-20cms below the snow surface. Low tide in tree exit, but fun skiing!
Hey Guys,
Brent and I got the public Avalanche Beacon Park installed today. It's located in the Old Airport area just off the Two Top trail, here in West Yellowstone. The 8 beacons are all buried. We could use some more snow to help cover them a little more, hopefully the next few days will provide that and we'll be off and rolling.
Thanks guys,
Jim Norlander
From obs: "It slid 10' or so."
Gusty winds transporting snow in Taylor Fork on Saturday. Triggered a 4-5 inch deep wind slab that propagated about 50 ft at the top of a north east facing slope at 9,500 ft.
Gusty winds transporting snow in Taylor Fork on Saturday. Triggered a 4-5 inch deep wind slab that propagated about 50 ft at the top of a north east facing slope at 9,500 ft.
Photo: JP
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>wind slab avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> are possible to trigger and could be large enough to bury or injure a person. Moderate to strong wind is drifting new snow into fresh slabs. Yesterday, in the Taylor Fork a snowboarder triggered a wind slab avalanche (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32412"><span><span><span><strong><span…. and photo</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>), and at Big Sky the ski patrol reported fresh hard slabs that ranged from stubborn to easy to trigger. Heavy snowfall is possible this morning in some areas (Bridgers, Hyalite, Big Sky), so anticipate hazards to increase through the day with fresh slabs easy to trigger.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On many slopes these slabs formed on top of a weak snow surface, and add weight to weak layers of surface hoar and facets that were recently buried up to 12” deep (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/EzT4DqH3wE0?feature=shared"><span><span><span><strong>… video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>,</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span> </span></span></strong></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/sites/default/files/snow_obs/2024-12/img_72… City photo1</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/24/ectp15-se-aspect-8650ft-cooke-cit… City Photo 2</span></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCd4OIw-4IU"><span><span><span><strong>… Fork surface hoar video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Mark was in Island Park yesterday and described the snowpack as a “sandbox of facets” (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeabt2K3ODQ&list=PLXu5151nmAvToI_ir…;). I went to Saddle Peak in the Bridgers and found facets below a hard slab as well as weak snow on the surface (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCd4OIw-4IU&list=PLXu5151nmAvToI_ir…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/32402"><span><span><span><strong><span…;).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Carefully evaluate the snowpack for fresh drifts and recently buried weak layers. Cracking across the snow surface or fresh avalanches are clear signs that you could trigger a wind slab. Even without these signs, fresh drifts are wise to avoid, especially in higher consequence terrain. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today, wind slab avalanches are possible to trigger and the avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Our education calendar is full of awareness lectures and field courses. Check it out: Events and Education Calendar
![https://www.mtavalanche.com/sites/default/files/snow_obs/2024-12/img_72…](https://www.mtavalanche.com/sites/default/files/snow_obs/2024-12/img_7248.jpeg"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span><span>Cooke){kind=link}