19-20

<p>Triggering an avalanche is likely today in the mountains around Cooke City. Snow finally backed off a bit yesterday with only 2” of new snow, but this comes on top of the steady loading the snowpack has received over the last week and a half. Avalanches may break in the new snow or deeper in the snowpack. On Wednesday, a skier near Cooke City triggered an avalanche that broke 2’ deep and 50’ wide (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/20/skier-triggered-avalanche-town-hi…;). You could triggering a much larger avalanche, particularly on upper elevation and windloaded slopes. Dangerous conditions exist and the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE.</p>

<p>Another 4-7” of new snow brings 48 hour snow totals up over a foot in the Bridger and Northern Madison Ranges. West winds up to 30 mph have drifted this new snow into thicker slabs that will be easily triggered by the weight of a skier or rider today. Avoid these wind drifted slopes where you are most likely to trigger an avalanche. Avalanches breaking deeper and wider are also possible on weak layers lower in the snowpack that have just been stressed by a load of new snow on top of them (<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vDe6LE-nhU&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvSbcbVf…;). The avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on windloaded slopes and MODERATE on all others.</p>

<p>The northern Gallatin Range has 7” of new snow today, but this is the first significant snowfall in the last week. Moderate west winds have blown this new snow into drifts that will be easily triggered today. Watch for these drifts near ridgelines and avoid the deepest drifts where you could trigger a larger slide. Look for shooting cracks as bullseye data that you’ve found one of these unstable drifts. For today, the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE.</p>

<p>The mountains around West Yellowstone haven’t gotten as much new snow as other parts of the advisory area. Yesterday, I toured in Bacon Rind and found a snowpack adjusting well to the couple inches of new snow (<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omt8Tt1rwms&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvSbcbVf…;). However, on our drive down we stopped by Hebgen Lake and remotely triggered a small slide (6” deep and 10’ wide) from 100’ away on a roadcut adjacent to the highway (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/20/hebgan-lake-road-cut-avalanche-ja…;). This is a good reminder that even without much recent loading, the poor snowpack structure in the southern ranges is not to be trusted. While the likelihood of triggering slides is decreasing, larger avalanches are possible. For today, the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE.</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can fill out an&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation">observation form</a></strong>, email us (<strong><a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com">mtavalanche@gmail.com</a></strong&gt;), leave a VM at 406-587-6984, or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>