Advisory Archive
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings throughout our forecast area, with heavy snow at times tonight through Thursday. Temperatures will drop to single digits and teens F by Thursday, and over a foot of snow is possible in most mountain ranges.
For current weather data check our weather stations in Cooke City, Hyalite, Lionhead and Sawtelle Peak, as well as Bridger Bowl’s weather stations, and SNOTEL sites throughout our advisory area. We will update the Weather and Avalanche Log daily and issue pre-season bulletins as needed.
Spring weather can be highly variable and create a mix of avalanche problems to watch for. Snow conditions and snow stability can change drastically from day to day or hour to hour. Anticipate rapid change and plan accordingly. Plenty of snowfall over the winter with more spring snow to come makes avalanches possible into summer.
On Thursday, the mountains received 1-5” of snow, favoring Hyalite Canyon and the areas near West Yellowstone and Cooke City. On Friday morning, temperatures are in the teens to 20s F, and winds are 10-20 mph from the west to northwest.
On Friday, mountain temperatures will push into the 40s F under sunny skies. Sun will persist, and temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s F through the weekend. Nighttime temperatures will largely stay above freezing except for the West Yellowstone and Cooke City areas. Winds will be 5-15 mph from the northwest to southwest. There will be no precipitation until early next week when the chance of rain and high-elevation snow showers arrives Monday night.
The recent storm ended late Friday with a total of 36-44” in the Bridger Range, 16-24” in the Madison and Gallatin ranges, and 9-12” near Cooke City and West Yellowstone. Over the weekend wind was west-southwest at 5-20 mph with gusts of 25-35 mph. Temperatures reached high 20s to low 30s F with partly cloudy skies becoming sunny yesterday. Today, wind will be west-southwest at 5-15 mph, temperatures will reach high 30s to low 40s F, and clouds will increase bringing rain in the valleys and snow in the mountains. By tomorrow morning the Bridger Range could have 4-8” of new snow with 2-4” elsewhere.
The middle of the week will be sunny with temperatures reaching mid-40s F during the day and dropping to high 20s and low 30s F overnight. Another chance of snow arrives Thursday with westerly wind increasing to 15-25 mph.
Since Tuesday evening the Bridger Range received 32-40” of snow, near Big Sky and Hyalite got 10-12”, and since Monday the mountains near West Yellowstone and Cooke City got 6-9”. Wind has been westerly at 5-20 mph with gusts of 15-30 mph. This morning temperatures are single digits to teens F. The next few days forecast is cold and generally snowy with temperatures reaching high 20s to low 30s F through Saturday, then mid-40s on Sunday. Wind will be 15-25 mph out of the west. The mountains near Bozeman and Big Sky are favored for snowfall with 3-5” possible today and 3-7” tomorrow through Saturday. Near Cooke City could receive 3-7” through Saturday and near West Yellowstone might see 2-4”.
This weekend, daytime temperatures climbed above freezing during the day with 5-20 mph winds from the southwest to the northwest. There was no new snow. Last night was the lightest freeze of the weekend, with temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s F.
Monday will be the warmest day of the week, with temperatures in the 40s F under partly cloudy skies. Cloud cover will increase as the day progresses, and light snow begins Monday night. Snow and cooler temperatures will continue from Tuesday through Friday. The first pulse of snowfall will bring 5-6” to the Big Sky area, 4-5” to the mountains around Bozeman, and 2-4” near West Yellowstone and Cooke City by Wednesday morning.
Yesterday snowfall dropped 13” in the Bridger Range, 10-12” in Cooke City and Hyalite, and 5-7” near Big Sky and West Yellowstone. This morning temperatures are single digits to teens F, and today temperatures will reach mid-20s to low 30s F. Yesterday wind was southwest at 15 mph with gusts of 25-45 mph, and this morning wind is northerly at 5-15 mph.
A couple inches of snow are possible today before skies clear for the weekend. Wind will remain calm to light out of the north through tomorrow, and on Sunday will shift westerly and increase to 15-25 mph. Temperatures will reach high 30s on Saturday and high 40s on Sunday. Overnight lows will be in the teens tonight and mid-20s to low 30s F the next couple nights.
This morning, temperatures are high 20s to mid-30s F, and wind is out of the southwest at 10-20 mph with gusts of 30-40 mph. Today will have increasing clouds and temperatures reaching low to mid-40s F. Wind will continue out of the southwest at 15-30 mph before colder air and snow arrive this evening. Tomorrow and Friday temperatures will be mid-20s to low 30s F, and tonight the mountains could get 1-3” of snow. Tomorrow heavy snow is expected to deliver 10-12” to most of the mountains in southwest Montana with more possible in the Bridger Range, Hyalite and Big Sky.
Mountain temperatures remained above freezing for the second night in a row, with lows in the 30s and 40s F. Winds ramped up to 10-30 mph from the south to the west and will increase through the day, averaging 20-45 mph. High temperatures will range from the upper 40s F to near 60 degrees F. Temperatures will likely drop below freezing tonight, and a potent spring snowstorm will move into the area Wednesday night.
Temperatures are generally in the mid-30s this morning, with only the highest elevations experiencing below-freezing temperatures last night. Winds are 10-15 mph from the west to southwest. Today, highs in the mountains will range from 50 to 60 degrees F with 10-20 mph winds from the south to the southwest.
