Good morning. This is Doug Chabot with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Advisory issued on Wednesday, April 1, at 7:30 a.m. Montana Ale Works in partnership with the Friends of the Avalanche Center sponsor today’s advisory. This advisory does not apply to operating ski areas.
Who would’ve thought it snowed 16 inches last night?! Well, no one. It’s April Fools. But five inches at Bridger Bowl and Big Sky? Now that’s real. Everywhere else got two to three inches of new snow except West Yellowstone which got missed.
It started snowing at midnight as temperatures dropped into the upper teens and winds spiked to 60 mph out of the west. Speeds have calmed substantially and are now averaging 10-20mph with gusts of 35. Today will become partly cloudy with scattered snow showers dropping another inch by morning. Mountain temperatures will remain cool and only reach the low 30s as winds remain westerly at 10-25 mph.
Bridger Range Northern Gallatin Range Northern Madison Range
The Bridger Range and Big Sky area squeezed out five inches of snow since midnight and Shower Falls SNOTEL in Hyalite is showing three inches, but I’m making an educated guess that upwards of five inches will be found above treeline. Westerly winds spiked to 60 mph before the storm but are still blowing 20 mph with gusts of 35; strong enough to move snow. This new storm snow is what may avalanche today. Some slopes will be wind-blown, others not, but the underlying frozen crust will be the bed surface. Dig down with your hand and see if the new snow is sticking to the ice or sliding. Stability evaluation gets no easier than this. For today the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE on all slopes.
Southern Madison Range Southern Gallatin Range Cooke City
Two to three inches of new snow in the backcountry of the southern Madison and southern Gallatin Ranges will barely be enough to soften the underlying ice chunks, aka chunder. My concern lies near the ridgetops where windblown snow will have formed soft slabs that a person could trigger. For today the avalanche danger is confined to slopes that are wind-loaded which will have a MODERATE danger. All other terrain has a LOW danger.
Lionhead area near West Yellowstone
The Lionhead area around West Yellowstone received no more than a trace of new snow. The below freezing temperatures have locked up the snowpack creating safe conditions and a LOW avalanche danger.
Mark will issue the next advisory tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. If you have any snowpack or avalanche observations drop us a line at mtavalanche@gmail.com or call us at 587-6984.
RECALL OF ORTOVOX S1+ AVALANCHE TRANSCEIVERS
All necessary information about the recall can be found at: www.ortovox.com/recall-s1plus.
The last advisory of the season will be Sunday, April 12.