Archived Advisory for Sun Jan 4 2009

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Good Morning. This is Doug Chabot with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Advisory issued on Sunday, January 4th at 7:30 a.m. Big Sky Ski Patrol, in cooperation with the Friends of the Avalanche Center, sponsor today’s advisory. This advisory does not apply to operating ski areas.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Out of the last 18 days, yesterday was the first without snowfall in southwest Montana. Clearing skies helped sink the temperatures below zero this morning. Winds are blowing westerly at 15-20 mph with gusts near 30. Under partly cloudy skies temperatures will reach into the high teens this afternoon. Tonight, clouds will roll in and winds will pick up as another storm approaches tomorrow morning. I expect an inch or less of new snow by dawn, but snowfall looks promising for Monday and Tuesday.

SNOWPACK AND AVALANCHE DISCUSSION

The southern Gallatin Range, the southern Madison Range, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City, and the Washburn Range:

It hasn’t snowed in the southern mountains for the past 36 hours, our first reprieve since December 17th. Without new snow we’re finally able to lift the Avalanche Warning we’ve had since Monday. But don’t be fooled into thinking that everything is alright, because it’s not. Without further snow the mountains will continue to stabilize, but it’s a slow process. Natural avalanches are likely on wind-loaded or steep terrain and folks will still be able to trigger slides in the backcountry. Since the Warning started snowfall is measured in feet. Cooke City received 5-6 feet. West Yellowstone got 3 feet. Many slopes avalanched early in the avalanche cycle, but reloaded and are primed to slide again. This is the nature of the ice layer and faceted snow combination we’re finding 1-2 feet off the ground.

The peak of the avalanche cycle is behind us, but it’s still dangerous. I expect folks to trigger steep slopes today. With this in mind, the avalanche danger is HIGH on all slopes either wind-loaded or steeper than 35 degrees. All other terrain has a CONSIDERABLE danger.

The Bridger, northern Gallatin and northern Madison Ranges:

The last snowfall in the northern mountains was early Friday evening when 3-5 inches fell. Since then, strong winds turned this powder into wind slabs. Yesterday, ski patrols on Lone Peak got these slabs to fracture with explosives. Immediately south of Saddle Peak on the east side of the Bridger Range a natural wind-loaded slope avalanched. The Moonlight Ski Patrol was only able to trigger avalanches using explosives in areas previously untouched. Some of these ran to the ground. These slopes are similar to the backcountry and remind us that triggering a slide on something other than wind-loaded terrain is getting more difficult, but certainly not impossible. Skiers on Mt. Ellis found snow fracturing in their stability tests 2 feet above the ground. On Friday, in the northern Madison Range a snowboarder triggered a small slide, while nearby on Buck Ridge a Forest Service Snow Ranger found a few smaller avalanches too. For today, a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists on all wind-loaded slopes. All other slopes have a MODERATE danger.

SADDLE PEAK

Saddle Peak is not within Bridger Bowl’s boundary and has never been avalanche controlled. But you’d never know this from watching people ski it. We’ve seen everything from a mob of skiers center punch the face to multiple groups of two littering themselves all over the slope at the same time. This is dangerous backcountry behavior. Skiing one at a time in avalanche terrain is our backup in case we’re wrong and trigger a slide. That’s also why we carry beacons, probes and shovels. Believe me; we definitely get it wrong sometimes. I study the snowpack for a living, and there’s no way, no matter how LOW the avalanche danger is, that I’m going to ski Saddle Peak side by side with my friends. Who’s going to dig me out?

AVALANCHE FATALITY IN WYOMING

An avalanche near Cody, Wyoming, claimed the life of an experienced ice climber on Friday. He was climbing the “Main Vein”, a south-facing route, when the bowl above the climb avalanched. The debris funneled down the gut of the climb like a freight train. His partner and rope held him, but not before being fatally traumatized. This area historically has minimal avalanche danger because of the lack of snow. Not this year. Lots of fresh snow and high winds have created unstable conditions. And these atypical avalanche conditions are not just in Cody, they’re all over the west.

AVALANCHE EDUCATION

1.A FREE 1-hour Avalanche Awareness lecture will be given at the Basecamp in Billings on Thursday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m.

2.A FREE 4-hour Avalanche Awareness workshop will be held in Helena on Saturday, January 10th from 10-2pm. It’s at the MACO Building at the Helena Airport.

For more information on both of these, check out our website at: http://www.mtavalanche.com/education/index.shtml

Mark will issue the next advisory tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. If you get out in the backcountry give us a call or send us an email with your observations. You can reach us at 587-6984 or at mtavalanche@gmail.com.