Regional Conditions for Northern Madison

Wet loose avalanches released in the warm sunshine on Tuesday, March 2nd. We expect many more in the coming days. Photo: S. Jonas

Small loose wet avalanches on Buck Ridge (3/2/21).

Photo: GNFAC

Natural avalanche near Cedar Mountain. 3-4 feet deep. Observed on 3/2/21, likely broke around 2/23 or 2/24.

Photo: GNFAC

Overview of the slides triggered by skiers in the 3rd Yellowmule on Sunday 2/28/21.

Photo: GNFAC (3/2/21)

Sled Skiing in Third Yellow mule... after an air onto the slope the impact from landing resulted in a fracture and failure to / near the ground... in addition, a remote trigger occurred on adjacent slope... 200-300 ft to the skiers right. No body was caught in either slide. Skier that initiated failure was moving at high speed and was beyond slide path before majority of snow movement began. Photo: W. Miller

Sled Skiing in Third Yellow mule... after an air onto the slope the impact from landing resulted in a fracture and failure to / near the ground... in addition, a remote trigger occurred on adjacent slope... 200-300 ft to the skiers right. No body was caught in either slide. Skier that initiated failure was moving at high speed and was beyond slide path before majority of snow movement began. Photo: W. Miller

Sled Skiing in Third Yellow mule... after an air onto the slope the impact from landing resulted in a fracture and failure to / near the ground... in addition, a remote trigger occurred on adjacent slope... 200-300 ft to the skiers right. No body was caught in either slide. Photo: W. Miller

This avalanche was triggered on Sunday, 2/28, when a skier released another slide 2-300 feet away. It broke at the same time. No one was caught. This was in the Third Yellow Mule on Buck Ridge.  Photo: W. Miller

Photo from 2/28/21: @bigsky114

Seen 2/28/21. A few days old. Photo: D. McCabe (YCSP)

Riders triggered this slide on 2/28/21 near Red Canyon/Cabin Creek, north of West Yellowstone. Nobody caught or injured, but close call.

Riders triggered this slide on 2/28/21 near Red Canyon/Cabin Creek, north of West Yellowstone. Nobody caught or injured, but close call.

Riders triggered this slide on 2/28/21 near Red Canyon/Cabin Creek, north of West Yellowstone. Nobody caught or injured, but close call.

Riders triggered this slide on 2/28/21 near Red Canyon/Cabin Creek, north of West Yellowstone. Nobody caught or injured, but close call.

There was 6' of snow off the ridge in the Bridger Range on an east facing slope. The top 2 feet were recent wind drifting that broke clean in our stability test which indicated unstable conditions (ECTP18). We expect similar conditions and instability with wind-loaded slops throughout our forecast area. Photo: GNFAC

In the last 24 hours (2/28) 12" of low density powder and 40-50 mph west wind made it easy to trigger wind-drifted snow. Alex kicked these drifts which cracked and moved. We expect similar conditions and instability with wind-loaded slops throughout our forecast area. Photo: GNFAC

Natural avalanche on Buck Ridge. Observed on 2/27/2021 and looks to have failed recently. 

Photo: @sledr700

This deep slab avalanche on the E face of Cedar Mountain likely avalanched in the last day or two (Feb 24). Photo: B. Rode

The Angry Hairpiece in the Lone Lake Cirque broke as a deep slab sometime in the last 24 hours (Monday, 2/22). Photo: Big Sky Ski Patrol

The Friends of the Avalanche Center, in partnership with the City of Bozeman, put in a Beacon Park at Beall Park. It is located on the north side of the Beall building between N. Bozeman Ave. and the ice rink. Stop by with your avalanche transceiver and do a few practice rescue drills. Your partner will thank you. Photo: S. Regan

From email: "Observed natural deep slab probably happened overnight with the strong winds... snowpack in the area was about 3-5’ deep mostly 4F with 20+cm of F depth hoar at the bottom... obviously not strong enough to support the wind-load." Photo: T Thorn

This large hard-slab avalanche was snowmobile-triggered on Saturday (2/20). It broke nearly 10' deep and approximately 200' across. It left large chunks of debris that piled up about 8' deep at the bottom. Photo: GNFAC

This large hard-slab avalanche was snowmobile-triggered on Saturday (2/20). It broke nearly 10' deep and approximately 200' across. Photo: GNFAC

Snowmobile-triggered avalanche occurred on Saturday (2/20) at the entrance to McAtee Basin. It broke on a 40-45 degree slope on old snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

Snowmobile-triggered avalanche occurred on Saturday (2/20) at the entrance to McAtee Basin breaking on old snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

From obs: “Triggered a large slide with a snowmobile. Went all the way to the ground. Crown seemed to range anywhere from maybe 3 ft to 10 ft. Large slabs of snow broke free and slid for about 100 yards.”

From email: "I toured into Blackmore [2/19/21] and observed an old snow avalanche at 9600' on the east face of Mt Blackmore. I was there the day before and didn't see any evidence of avalanche activity; strong overnight winds with ample snow available for transport appeared to be enough to tip the scales." Photo: T. Guarino

From email: "I toured into Blackmore [2/19/21] and observed an old snow avalanche at 9600' on the east face of Mt Blackmore. I was there the day before and didn't see any evidence of avalanche activity; strong overnight winds with ample snow available for transport appeared to be enough to tip the scales." Photo: T. Guarino

From e-mail:  "...a photo of what appeared to be a natural D2 underneath the Maid today [2/19/21]." Photo: H. Coppolillo

From email: "While on tour today above the canyon, we observed various snow surfaces. We found heavily windloaded slopes on E/NE aspects. Solar aspects began to develop rollers as rocks began to heat up around noon. We observed a small avalanche on E slope a drainage away, roughly 20 feet wide. While ascending a ridgeline at 7500 elevation, we had a massive woomph and crack that spread 100 feet from the ridge to a roller in the fall line." Photo: Tommy S.

From email: "Went out in Middle Basin north of Big Sky today and saw 5 separate slides, the largest about 500ft across and approximately 2ft deep. All of them were northeast to southeast aspects from about 9200 to 9800ft. The included photos aren't the best but give an idea of the slides, most are from that largest slide." Photo: B. Richards

From email: "Went out in Middle Basin north of Big Sky today and saw 5 separate slides, the largest about 500ft across and approximately 2ft deep. All of them were northeast to southeast aspects from about 9200 to 9800ft. The included photos aren't the best but give an idea of the slides, most are from that largest slide." Photo: B. Richards

From email: "Went out in Middle Basin north of Big Sky today and saw 5 separate slides, the largest about 500ft across and approximately 2ft deep. All of them were northeast to southeast aspects from about 9200 to 9800ft. The included photos aren't the best but give an idea of the slides, most are from that largest slide." Photo: B Richards

On 2/14/21 two splitboarders triggered this avalanche while skinning up the slope. One was caught, partially buried and critically injured. Photo: GNFAC

On 2/14/21 two splitboarders triggered this avalanche while skinning up the slope. One was caught, partially buried and critically injured. Rescuers from Gallatin County/Big Sky Search and Rescue hiked in and were flown in to evacuate the injured person. Photo: B. Murry

On 2/14/21 two splitboarders triggered this avalanche while skinning up the slope. One was caught, partially buried and critically injured. Rescuers from Gallatin County/Big Sky Search and Rescue hiked in and were flown in to evacuate the injured person. Photo: B. Murry

On 2/14/21 two splitboarders triggered this avalanche while skinning up the slope. One was caught, partially buried and critically injured. Photo: GNFAC

On 2/14/21 two splitboarders triggered this avalanche while skinning up the slope. One was caught, partially buried and critically injured. Photo: GNFAC

Natural avalanche on an east aspect in Beehive Basin. Likely broke on Sunday, 2/7/2021.

Photo: J. Schack

On Thursday, Feb 11, snowmobilers remotely triggered two large avalanche in the Portal Creek area.

From obs: "Broke on lookers right crown first then triggered second slide to lookers left (rocks everywhere). Broke on depth hoar on both slides north facing aspects. Nobody was caught."