22-23

At 6pm, 4.19.23, the Bridger Range has received 37" of new snow in the last 20 hrs (29" were measured at the top of Bridger when the snow board was cleared at 1pm, and 8.5" have fallen since) equal to 2.2" of snow water equivalent (measured at Alpine weather station).

I skied up and down under the Bridger lift between 10am and 2pm. The new snow slid easily on steep slopes, mostly dry loose avalanches, but by the afternoon these were entraining large, dangerous volumes of snow. Video is from this morning, small test slope at 6,300', north facing. Now there is a lot more snow, and much more at higher elevations. It snowed heavily all day. Wind was moderate on the ridge, calm with moderate gusts below the ridge, and moderate/gusty on the lower half of the mountain. 

Large avalanches of new snow will be easy to trigger for the next few days, and large natural avalanches are possible. Conditions will continue to become more dangerous if heavy snow continues.

From obs 4/19/23: "We observed a large slide at the Apron that was released from the Hidden Gully. In a whiteout, we couldn't tell the size, but it looked quite substantial. The slide didn't go all the way to the bottom."

From obs 4/19/23: "New snow is not bonding well to the old snow surface.  Sluffing and running far on steeper terrain.  Photo taken on First Finger. Heavy snowfall and wind." Photo: J. Curry

A skier took this photo on 4/16/23. The avalanche likely ran around 4/11 during high danger for wet snow avalanches. 

We observed a large slide at the Apron that was released from the Hidden Gully. In a whiteout, we couldn't tell the size, but it looked quite substantial. The slide didn't go all the way to the bottom.

New snow is not bonding well to the old snow surface.  Sluffing and running far on steeper terrain.  Photo taken on First Finger. Heavy snowfall and wind.

SWE/snow totals @0600