22-23

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Triggering large avalanches remains likely today in the mountains around West Yellowstone and Cooke City. Avalanches are breaking on weak layers deep in the snowpack including some that were buried all the way back in early January. Yesterday, Doug rode around Lionhead and documented the largest avalanche cycle he’s seen there in his 25 year career (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28673"><span><span><span><strong><span…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncKRJpdC-iE"><span><span><span><strong>…;). There were also huge natural and human triggered slides around Cooke City this past week (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTMemSftJqs&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvTi1DBS…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><span><span><span… log</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). The snowpack needs more time to adjust to the big load of snow that just got dropped on it by the mid-week storm (2 to 3 feet of snow with 2-2.5” </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://snow.wyo.gov/snow-surveys/snow-water-equivalent-swe"><span><span… water equivalent</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>) before we can begin to trust it.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Sunny skies and fresh powder will make for a beautiful day in the mountains. Steep slopes will look inviting and tempting. Ignore them. Practice patience. There will be a time for riding steep slopes this spring, but today isn’t it. Stick to low angle slopes and even be cautious crossing beneath steep slopes as you could trigger a slide from below.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Springtime concerns should be on the radar today as well. Cornices are primed to break off. Loose wet avalanches are possible as the snow surface gets wet. And roof avalanches are also a real worry around buildings as roofs shed their winter snowpack (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.newsbreak.com/island-park-id/2958869741874-9-year-old-survi… call earlier this week in Island Park, ID</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Around Bozeman and Big Sky, the snowpack is beginning to adjust to the smaller load it got from this last storm (around a foot of new snow). Watch out for areas where the new snow remains reactive and keep the possibility of deep slab avalanches in mind before getting onto steep slopes. It’s been a week and a half since the last deep slab avalanche, but any chance of such a huge slide should make you more cautious (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28455"><span><span><span><strong><span… Peak slide</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28642"><span><span><span><strong><span… Bridgers slide</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Be mindful traveling along corniced ridgelines or on the slopes below them as cornices are beginning to release. Expect the snow surface on sunny slopes to get wet and sticky this afternoon, indicating loose wet avalanches have become a concern.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Human triggered avalanches are possible and the avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Please share avalanche, snowpack or weather observations via our</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_obs"><span><span><span><span>…; </span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span><span>website</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, email (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>mtavalanche@gmail.com</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Triggering large avalanches remains likely today. The snowpack needs more time to adjust to the big load of snow that just got dropped on it by the mid-week storm before we can begin to trust it. There will be a time for riding steep slopes this spring, but today isn’t it.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>See </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-lUMunzE1k"><span><span><span><span><s…’s video</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> for a rundown on the aftermath of this week’s avalanche warning.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>