24-25
Weird Conditions in the Madisons
Date
Activity
Skiing
Started touring from the road around 8:30, with temps just above 0F. Half an hour later and 200 feet higher (~6150 feet) we were down to base layers and temps were above freezing. The top 5cm of surface snow was moist for most of our tour, with about 15-20 cm of dry snow below, overlying a buried crust in most areas.
As we got higher (~7000 ft) we noticed roller balls from the previous day, as well as dust on the snow surface.
Above 8000 feet surface snow became mostly dry on northerly aspects but a surface MFcr or a thin layer of moist surface snow still existed on southerly aspects. We skied a northly aspect first and it wasn't too bad.
Around noon graupel showers turned into S2 snowfall with sustained strong winds at ridgetop. A very abrupt change in weather and snow conditions. As we descended and drove back to Bozeman the temperature inversion was still going strong.
Our main thoughts are that this bodes for weird things to come. The snow yesterday was falling on a crust at higher elevations, but burying cold (potentially faceted?) snow at lower elevations. There were signs of developing wet snow problems at higher elevations but mid-winter conditions at lower elevations. It seems like our standard way of thinking about avalanche problems/hazard distribution may have to become inverted along with the temperatures.
Region
Northern Madison
Location (from list)
Deer Creek
Observer Name
N deLeeuw
Weather and Avalanche Log for Thu Feb 6, 2025
Mountain temps 25 degrees colder than yesterday
Swift Current lift shut down all day Wednesday 2/5/25 by ski patrol
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Feb 6, 2025
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>My head is still spinning trying to make sense of avalanche conditions following this roller coaster of weather, and frankly I don’t have any trust in the snowpack at the moment.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The biggest issue is recent </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>hurricane force winds from the south</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. The Big Sky Ski Patrol intentionally triggered an avalanche with explosives on a slope loaded by these winds producing a slide up to 7 feet deep breaking on the old snow surface from dry weather in late January. They haven’t seen an avalanche like that on that slope in 40-50 years. What do you think we might find in the backcountry? (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34027"><span><span><span><span><span><…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/avalanche-triggered-during-mitigat… story</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Near Cooke City, large avalanches have been spotted on </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/25/avalanche-north-crown-butte"><spa… Butte</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/25/scotch-bonnet-north-avalanche"><s… Bonnet</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/25/natural-avalanche-mt-henderson-ne…;, and</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/25/natural-avalanche-miller-ridge-ne…; </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>Miller Ridge</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Near West Yellowstone on Lionhead, slightly smaller but many fresh wind slabs were </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/33978"><span><span><span><span><span><… on Tuesday</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Yesterday at low elevations in the cold air (below the inversion) on Mt Ellis in the northern Gallatin Range, a skier triggered and spotted </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34015"><span><span><span><span><span><… storm slab avalanches in the new snow</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>When you add it all up, these are dangerous avalanche conditions creating several avalanche problems stacked on top of each other - wind slabs, persistent slabs, storm slabs.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<ol>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>There are weak layers of small facets buried 1-3 feet deep that formed during dry weather in late January. These weak layers seem more widespread the further south you go. See this video near </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/y7Nm5dbbBqQ?feature=shared"><span><span><spa… Yellowstone</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and this one near </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/BzI5yK0R7FU?feature=shared"><span><span><spa… Sky</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>There has been a lot of snow from this weekend and yesterday.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The snow surface got a coating of dust and then became wet on some slopes during warm temperatures late Tuesday.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>There have been really strong winds from the south and west. Shifting wind directions and new snow yesterday will make it harder to identify recent wind slabs.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For today the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE. I’m unsure of the likelihood of triggering avalanches today, but I know these are dangerous conditions requiring careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route finding, and conservative decision making.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The main avalanche problems in the Bridgers are tied to yesterday’s 6-9” of new snow and winds from the north, south, and west both yesterday and earlier this week creating a wind slab avalanche problem. Storm slabs that were sensitive yesterday during high snowfall rates shouldn’t be much of an issue today but still something to watch out for.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Skiers north of Bridger Bowl on the ridge spotted numerous </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>wind slabs</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> that released naturally like </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/25/wind-slab-crown-hourglass-couloir… in the Hourglass couloir</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> not too deep but 200’ wide. </span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Another group below heard those avalanches rumbling down but were in safe locations.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>On Tuesday, three skiers triggered an avalanche on a wind-loaded terrain feature on Saddle Peak that ran 400 vertical feet. Thankfully, no one was caught, and the slide stopped above the large cliffs (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34007"><span><span><span><strong><span…;).</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34014"><span><span><span><span><span><… north towards Ross Peak</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, skiers observed cracking and many small storm slab avalanches that seemed to be at lower elevations underneath the inversion where the new snow landed on old cold snow. </span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today dangerous avalanche conditions exist where winds deposited yesterday’s snow and the danger is CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded slopes. Non-wind loaded slopes have a MODERATE danger where there may be some lingering storm slab instabilities. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Upcoming Avalanche Education and Events
Our education calendar is full of awareness lectures and field courses. Check it out: Events and Education Calendar
Bone Crusher avalanche
Date
Swift Current lift shut down all day Wednesday 2/5/25 by ski patrol
Region
Northern Madison
Location (from list)
Big Sky Resort
Observer Name
patrickinbigsky
200ft wide and rather shallow, did not manage to run fully into the apron.
Avalanche Details: Natural Avalanches in Wolverine Bowl
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Feb 6, 2025GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Feb 7, 2025
Bridger Range, 2025-02-06
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Feb 6, 2025GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Feb 7, 2025
Natural Avalanches in the Bridgers
Date
Activity
Skiing
Toured up the ramp and north towards hourglass couloir right after heavy snowfall at Bridger. Observed presumably natural wind slab avalanche crown at top of Hourglass (picture). Broke roughly 200ft wide and rather shallow, did not manage to run fully into the apron. Also noted many other small natural avalanches almost all breaking right at the top of the ridge. Strong winds from west loading slopes. Followed some solo tracks down just skiers left of hourglass, noted some instability but no major propagation or slides while skiing. Storm slab not quite cohesive this evening, but could definitely see it getting pretty spooky tomorrow.
Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
Hourglass Chute
Observer Name
Titan Cox
Woody Creek Obs
Date
Activity
Skiing
Skied south of Cooke today. Winds were strong with frequent gusts to extreme out of the S. 3cm of new between 1530 and 1700. No cr, co and the wind slab produced moderate, non-planar results in hand pits. Limited vis and no avalanches observed.
Region
Cooke City
Location (from list)
COOKE CITY
Observer Name
Beartooth Powder Guides
Natural Avalanches in Wolverine Bowl
Wolverine Bowl
Bridger Range
Code
SS-N
Aspect
E
Latitude
45.83010
Longitude
-110.93400
Notes
After skiing Bradley's Meadow, we skied north into Wolverine Bowl aiming to go up the backside of Texas Meadows. When we were in the large flat meadow to the north of Hourglass Chute we heard two avalanches come down from the ridge a few hundred yards north of Hourglass. Too low of vis to estimate size or see anything but the powder clouds come over the bottom cliffs.
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Natural trigger
Problem Type
New Snow
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year