Regional Conditions for Bridgers

as of 5:00 am

Apr 30	4″ \| N/A
Apr 29	2″ \| N/A
Apr 28	3″ \| N/A

Bridger Lift

8100′ 4/04 at 11:00

39 ℉
0.0″New

Bridger Ridge

8500′ at 1100

33 ℉
W - 17 mph
Gusts 22mph

Bottom Line: Avalanches will be mostly confined to new snow that falls. Shallow wet slides are possible if rain or warm temperatures melt the snow surface. Anticipate new snow stability to decrease with wind, sun or above freezing temperatures. Be aware of deeper wet slides if the snowpack doesn’t freeze overnight, or if there is heavy rain. Now is just as important as ever to be diligent with snowpack assessment and choose terrain carefully. See our forecast page for general spring snowpack and travel advice.

Primary Problem: New Snow

Full Forecast

Past 5 Days

Fri Apr 19

None

Mon Apr 22

None

Fri Apr 26

None

Mon Apr 29

None

Thu May 2

None

Avalanche Activity- Bridgers

2019-05-14

Northern Madison

Beehive Basin

Natural Wet Slab in Beehive

Beehive Basin
WS-N-R4-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: S
Coordinates: 45.3508, -111.4040
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers saw a large wet slab that released naturally sometime before 0745 on Tuesday (5/14).

More Avalanche Details

Wet slab near Beehive Peak

Wet slab near Beehive Peak 2

2019-05-14

Bridger Range

Saddle Peak

Natural wet slab on Saddle Peak

Saddle Peak
WS-NC-R2-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.7952, -110.9350
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Wet slab released naturally Tuesday (5/14/19) evening on Saddle Peak. "South side of 1/4 Saddle slid sometime last night. Looks like cornice drop then step down to near ground. Hi yesterday at Alpine was 62." -R. Elliott/BBSP

More Avalanche Details

Wet slab debris Saddle Peak

Wet slab on Saddle Peak

2019-05-12

Bridger Range

Bridger Bowl

Glide Avalanche on Glide Plane

Bridger Bowl
WS-N-R3-D2.5-G
Elevation: 7,750
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.8240, -110.9250
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

"South side of the Glide Plane released as a glide avalanche last evening (May 12th) sometime around 6 pm according to source. Bed surface was ground in starting zone of wet clay soil sparsely covered in long grass. Debris chunks, some snowmobile sized, rode up on surface and slid approx. 200 vert. Debris could have bumped a tower on the old Alpine lift if it still lived there. Last freeze was 6 am on the 10th of May. The high temperature on the 12th was 59 degrees at 4 pm."

From BBSP Avalanche Atlas:

Interesting Events:

"The Glide Plane annually develops a significant glide crack starting on the north side of the lower section. There is only one event (late 1960’s) of this path breaking out to the ground that can be recalled (glide avalanche). This occurred sometime when Randy Elliott was a grade-schooler and it did damage to a tower on the old Alpine lift. A deflector was then built onto the damaged tower. Mitigation efforts throughout the 80’s consisted of extensive boot packing early season and one attempt of encircling entire slope with det chord. These efforts proved futile, as the crack still developed and the slope remained intact.

Circa 2013 when the original Alpine chair was removed, the road cut known as the 3 Bears Traverse was filled back in with its original material that had been the foundation of the unload station of the old Alpine. This is the 3^rd season (2016) with the original landscape, the glide crack has still opened but the slope has stayed in place.

Early 1980’s, Joel Jurgens wanted to test the slope because of rapid movement. Buried big shots on flanks and Goldilocks Traverse level strung together with det cord. –Randy Elliott 2017" - Pete Maleski 2015-2016

More Avalanche Details

Glide Plane Avalanche 2

Glide Plane Avalanche from toe

Glide Plane Avalanche Debris Chunks

Glide Plane Avalanche Crown

Glide Plane Avalanche

Photos- Bridgers

Displaying 1 - 40 of 4.6116860184274E+18

Wet slabs on Fan Mtn. 4

Natural wet slabs were widespread on Fan Mtn. near Big Sky during the week of 5/13-5/16. Photo: E. Mullen
Wet slab near Beehive Peak

This natural wet slab slid early this week, Monday (5/13) or early Tuesday (5/14), near Beehive Peak. This photo was taken 0745 Tuesday morning. Photo: @cfirer
Wet slab debris Saddle Peak

Debris from a wet slab that released naturally Tuesday evening on saddle Peak. Debris ran very far into the runout compared to similar sized dry slabs that often occur on this path. "South side of 1/4 Saddle slid sometime last night. Looks like cornice drop then step down to near ground. Hi yesterday at Alpine was 62." -R. Elliott/BBSP
Wet slab on Saddle Peak

This wet slab released naturally Tuesday evening on saddle Peak. "South side of 1/4 Saddle slid sometime last night. Looks like cornice drop then step down to near ground. Hi yesterday at Alpine was 62." -R. Elliott/BBSP
Glide Plane Avalanche 2

"South side of the Glide Plane released as a glide avalanche last evening (May 12th) sometime around 6 pm according to source. Bed surface was ground in starting zone of wet clay soil sparsely covered in long grass. Debris chunks, some snowmobile sized, rode up on surface and slid approx. 200 vert. Debris could have bumped a tower on the old Alpine lift if it still lived there. Last freeze was 6 am on the 10th of May. The high temperature on the 12th was 59 degrees at 4 pm." Photo and observations: BBSP
Glide Plane Avalanche from toe

Photo: BBSP
Glide Plane Avalanche Debris Chunks

"South side of the Glide Plane released as a glide avalanche last evening (May 12th) sometime around 6 pm according to source. Bed surface was ground in starting zone of wet clay soil sparsely covered in long grass. Debris chunks, some snowmobile sized, rode up on surface and slid approx. 200 vert. Debris could have bumped a tower on the old Alpine lift if it still lived there. Last freeze was 6 am on the 10th of May. The high temperature on the 12th was 59 degrees at 4 pm." Photo and observartions: BBSP
Glide Plane Avalanche Crown

"South side of the Glide Plane released as a glide avalanche last evening (May 12th) sometime around 6 pm according to source. Bed surface was ground in starting zone of wet clay soil sparsely covered in long grass. Debris chunks, some snowmobile sized, rode up on surface and slid approx. 200 vert. Debris could have bumped a tower on the old Alpine lift if it still lived there. Last freeze was 6 am on the 10th of May. The high temperature on the 12th was 59 degrees at 4 pm." Photo and observartions: BBSP
Glide Plane Avalanche

"South side of the Glide Plane released as a glide avalanche last evening (May 12th) sometime around 6 pm according to source. Bed surface was ground in starting zone of wet clay soil sparsely covered in long grass. Debris chunks, some snowmobile sized, rode up on surface and slid approx. 200 vert. Debris could have bumped a tower on the old Alpine lift if it still lived there. Last freeze was 6 am on the 10th of May. The high temperature on the 12th was 59 degrees at 4 pm." Photo and observartions: BBSP
Skier triggered wind slab near Beehive

Skiers found fresh wind slabs that were easily triggered on Saturday 4/27 near Beehive Basin in the northern Madison Range. Photo: E. Birkeland
Skier triggered new snow loose 2

Skiers easily triggered loose snow avalanches of the 3-5” of new snow. This morning (4/27) on the Bridger Ridge. Photo: @smooneyski
Skier triggered new snow loose slides

Skiers easily triggered loose snow avalanches of the 3-5” of new snow. This morning (4/27) on the Bridger Ridge. Photo: @smooneyski
Glide avalanche on the Throne

This crown was observed on 4/18/19 on a slope that previously had a glide crack. It probably broke during heavy rain on 4/7-4/8. Photo: GNFAC
Wet slab in St. Lawrence

This wet slab crown was observed on 4/18/19 on the west side of the Bridger Range, and it likely ran during heavy rain on 4/7-4/8. Photo: GNFAC
Give Big Gallatin Valley, May 2-3

Link to donate to the Friends of GNFAC: https://www.givebiggv.org/organizations/friends-of-the-gallatin-national-forest-avalanche-center
Natural large wet slab near Bridger Peak

This slide occurred around 1400hrs on 4/19/19 with sunshine and temps above 50 F. Photo: GNFAC
Natural wet loose at Bridger 3

Activity from 4/19/19. Photo: GNFAC
Natural wet loose at Bridger 2

Activity from 4/19/19. Photo: GNFAC
Natural large wet slides in north bowl

Activity from 4/19/19. Photo: GNFAC
Natural wet loose at Bridger

Activity from 4/19/19. Photo: GNFAC
Natural wet loose slides N Bridgers

Wet loose slides ran naturally on 4/18 on northeast through south aspects in the Bridger range. Photo: GNFAC
Natural wet loose slides Bridger Ridge

Wet loose slides ran naturally on 4/18 on northeast through south aspects in the Bridger range. (Screenshot of BBowl webcam).
Cornices are large this spring

Photo: GNFAC
New snow Bridgers 4/8-4/17

Photo: GNFAC
Snow depth on Bridger Ridge 16 April

Photo: GNFAC
Large slab avalanche N. Bridgers

Skiers saw this crown on Saturday (4/13) in the N. Bridgers. Photo: M. Gaffney
Cornice fall and winds slabs

Recent spring snow has created instabilities that are confined to within the new snow. Areas such as ridgelines where fresh drifts form should be approached with caution. Cornices and fresh wind slabs should be avoided after fresh snow and/or strong wind. Photo. M. Gaffney
Spring new snow instabilties

Photo: GNFAC
Crown of skier triggered slide in Beehive

From e-mail on 4/11/19: "We found reactive storm slabs and touchy windslabs near ridgelines. We kicked off a small windslab in 4th of July from the top of the couloir. Attached is a photo of the crown to give you a depth perspective. It was about 6 feet across and 3-4 inches deep."
Wet snow avalanche debris, Bridger Bowl

Heavy rain on Monday produced a widespread wet loose avalanche cycle in the Bridger Range. Photo: GNFAC
Snowpit at Bridger

Snowpit dug at Bridger Bowl on Monday (4/8). Heavy snow and rain are creating dangerous avalanche conditions. Photo: BBSP
Wet Spring Snowpack, New Snow Instabilities

Below 3-5" of new snow there is a supportable frozen crust on top of a wet snowpack on most slopes. Avalanches are mostly confined to the new snow on top of this crust (wet loose, dry loose, wind slabs). However, where the snowpack did not freeze below the new snow, or when this crust melts, deeper wet slides are possible. Photo: GNFAC
Glide crack on the Throne

A glide crack (the "frown" of dirt in the middle of the image) has opened up on the SE face of the Throne, in the Northern Bridger Range. Photo taken 4/1/2019.

Photo credit: GNFAC
Snowmobile-triggered slab Northern Bridgers

Snowmobile-triggered slide near Fairy Lake on Saturday (3/30). New snow was drifted into small wind slabs that may remain reactive in isolated areas. Photo: P. Cronin
Changes in aspect- Saddle Peak

Two pits on the west side of Saddle peak. They were dug relatively close to each other, but subtle changes in aspect and elevation resulted in very different conditions. North-facing slopes remain cold and dry for now, while anything that is in the sun is transitioning to a springtime snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
Skier triggered wet slab debris

Skiers triggered this wet slab avalanche on Saturday afternoon (3/23). Warm sunny days have weakened the snowpack and made wet avalanches possible. Photo: G. Egnew
Skier triggered wet slab

Skiers triggered this wet slab avalanche on Saturday afternoon (3/23). Warm sunny days have weakened the snowpack and made wet avalanches possible. Photo: G. Egnew
Texas Meadows wet slabs (3)

Debris pile from the smaller of two wet slab avalanches on the south-facing chutes off of Texas Meadows. P: A. Schauer
Texas Meadows wet slabs (2)

Photo of the track of the larger of two wet slabs on the south-facing chutes off of Texas Meadows. Photo: A. Schauer
Texas Meadows wet slabs (1)

Two wet slabs that looked to have released during the past 48 hours. The smaller slide on the left had a debris pile that was 6' deep. The larger slide on the right failed at the ground and took most of the snow in the chute with it. The large slide may have been triggered from smaller loose wet slide that was set off by a skier. Photo: A. Schauer