Photos

From obs: "Skied Mount Blackmore today (3/27/21)... around 1 pm a skier remote triggered a deep slab from ~50 feet away (around the corner lookers right in the attached picture). Broke at the ground, 10-15feet deep, and took out a small tree." Photo: M. Lavery

From obs: "Skied Mount Blackmore today (3/27/21). Saw a natural avalanche on Alex Lowe peak just south of the Hellmouth...". Photo: M. Lavery

From obs: "Skied Mount Blackmore today. Saw... 4 skier triggered slides on the E face between the Blackmore and Alex Lowe Basins. Most appeared to be wind slabs... " Photo: M. Lavery

From obs (3/27/21): "We were skinning up Pyramid Point from the East. as we approached 10,000 ft, we encountered a wind slab on an East Facing slope. it was about 1-2 inches where we encountered it, but it quickly propogated. the crown was 18-20 inches at its highest and about 150 feet wide. the debris ran for about 200 feet."

Small snowmobile triggered slide in the new snow on Buck Ridge. Likely triggered on 3/26/2021. Photo taken 3/27.

Photo: GNFAC

Observation from Electric Peak on 3/26/21.

From obs: "...I did get one small slab to pull on the crust layer on an E aspect at 8000’, so the snow has proven to not be uniformly well-bonded..."

Photo: S. Reinsel

From obs: "On Friday, my partner and I went into Middle Basin with the objective of skiing Middle Peak, and possibly the short couloir that splits the face. That morning we dug a pit on the east facing aspect of the beehive/middle basin ridge (ECTx). Encouraged by our results, we continued on to the base of middle peak and dug another pit (ECTp 30) on the south-facing ice crust. We continued on to summit middle peak and ski down the face to the entrance of the couloir, we descended 20ft into the entrance on soft loose snow and dug our third pit (ECTx), we replicated our results and decided the feature would be safe to ski. At ~1pm the first skier descended the slope, and triggered a small windslab (4-8in and 20ft wide) about 100ft down the slope and skied away uncaught. Skier 2, descended a lower angle slope to the east."

Ian and Dave stop to do a quick stability test as they hunt for a layer of weak snow 1-2 feet under the surface. Photo: GNFAC

21 March 2021: A pair of skiers triggered this slide on the east face of Mount Blackmore. No one was caught. Photo: Anonymous

On Monday, March 22, skiers toured west of Blackmore Lake and observed a natural slide of the new snow below a cornice. Photo: E. Schreier

Skiers booting up the N Coulior of the Mummy (from Flanders), triggered this small 6" soft slab avalanche without consequence. Photo: H. Coppolillo

From email: "We both set off some small sluffing on the west side of the ridge between Middle and Beehive on our way out; the snow on that aspect was a lot thinner and more prone to sliding on the older icy crust under the new snow. Photos are from below where we skied out; we dropped onto the west-facing slopes maybe 100' south of the prayer flags." Photo: P Calabro

A pair of skiers were ascending the east-face of Alex Lowe Peak when they triggered an avalanche that broke 150' above them. One skier was caught and carried 250 vertical feet. No one was injured or buried.

A pair of skiers were ascending the east-face of Alex Lowe Peak when they triggered an avalanche that broke 150' above them. One skier was caught and carried 250 vertical feet. No one was injured or buried. Photo: Anonymous

From obs: "On our way up the summer trail route to Hyalite Peak our party of three remotely triggered a small avalanche from the skin track at around 9,600ft on a east facing aspect. The storm slab went about 4 inches deep and 150-200ft across a small roll over feature. We were about 150ft away when we triggered the slide." Photo: C. Kussmaul

The snowpack in the Centennials is remarkably similar to the Lionhead area outside West Yellowstone: 6 feet of snow at 9,200 feet. The stability will get worse with snow this weekend (19-21 March) because the surface snow is week and the new snow will not bond to it (near-surface facets). Photo: GNFAC

Skier triggered sluffs on Fan Mtn. Small wet and dry loose avalanches were triggered depending on aspect/elevation. 3/18/21.

Photo: H. Coppolillo

On shady aspects, there is a layer of weak near-surface facets developing. These could become a problem if they get buried by new snow this weekend. On sunny aspects, the snow surface is getting wet and is becoming weak as it heats up in the afternoon.

In this photo, observe how both issues can occur on the same slope. 

Photo: GNFAC

Cornices along Lionhead Ridge. 3/16/2021

Photo: GNFAC

Small wet slide on south facing slope low on Skyline Ridge. Observed 3/13/21. Likely broke in the previous couple of days.

Photo: GNFAC