Welcome to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) web site. This site is brought to you by the Friends of the GNFAC, a non-profit supporting avalanche awareness and education through a partnership with the GNFAC.

Based in Bozeman, Montana, the GNFAC covers an area of approximately 6,000 mi2, including the Bridger, Gallatin, and Madison Ranges, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone, and the mountains around Cooke City.

Conditions:

Danger Scale

GNFAC Instagram

Large wet loose avalanches were observed in the Bridger Range yesterday. Skiers outside of Cooke Cooke City also observed wet loose avalanches. The same group in Cooke City saw a large natural cornice failure that triggered a 2-3' deep slab avalanche on the slope below. Today, wet loose avalanches are the primary concern, but cornices and wind slabs on high north facing slopes are also problems to think about. Pay close attention to changing conditions and avoid being on or underneath steep slopes if instability is on the rise.Temperatures dropped well below freezing overnight, which is good for the snowpack. However, temps will warm quickly and the sun will shine most of the day. This will increase the potential for wet loose avalanches. Watch for signs of instability such as roller balls or small point releases. These are signs the upper layers of the snowpack are growing unstable. If these signs are present, move off of and away from steep slopes or find shadier/cooler aspects (north facing). An early start and early fishing is a good way to mitigate wet snow avalanche hazard.The Gallatin Valley Give Big event is coming up on May 3-4, 6PM to 6PM, our last fundraising effort for the season. Donate to the Friends of the GNFAC or any of the many other nonprofits that support our community! Donations support avalanche education throughout SW MT. Photo: G. AntonioliAvalanche season is far from over! We found a foot of fresh snow totaling 1.5" of SWE on the Ridge today. That's on top of the 3+ feet that fell last week. The bottom is - there's a ton of snow and multiple avalanche problems to contend with in the Bridgers Range. Take your time to assess the snowpack carefully and keep terrain selections conservative. #gnfacobs

GNFAC News

Give Big Fundraiser

May 3-4th, Give Big online fundraising campaign! This is our one-and-only financial appeal to our users.

Cooke City Sled Fest - May 19

Sledders, mark your calendar for May 19, the 2nd Annual Sled Fest in Cooke City. It’s a fundraiser for the Friends of the Avalanche Center and there will be a DJ, raffle prizes and BBQ on the mountain.

Dashboard Talks, Episode 7

Alex Marienthal and Doug Chabot provide a few thoughts about why you should read the daily advisory. As the season wears on, don't get "Advisory Fatigue." There is a lot of winter still to come!

Dashboard Talks, Episode 6

Alex Marienthal and Doug Chabot discuss the difference between inches of snow and snow water equivalent (SWE) and why it matters.

Resources

Weather Stations

Weather Stations provide the GNFAC forecasters with information on snowfall, wind and temps from around the region. The Weather Log summarizes this daily.

Avalanche Education

GNFAC partners with groups around the region to provide evening avalanche classes, plus full day and multi-day courses, including some weekend field days. All our class offerings, along with courses from other providers, are on our Education Calendar.

Placenames

Use this map to find the locations of unfamiliar places mentioned in the advisory. Also take a look at our glossary of avalanche terms.

Support

Donate to the Friends of GNFAC; or order DVDs or 'Snow Sense' avalanche safety handbook.