Snow Observations List

GNFAC
Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Wet snow, dry snow, weak snow
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Snow Obs contain video

We went on a safari of different snow conditions at Beehive today. We toured up to the prayer flags, looked into the top of Bear Basin on southeast and northeast aspects, and then returned to Beehive through the north edge of Tyler's. We dug a pit in the starting zone of Tyler's and were a bit surprised by an ECTP11 on basal depth hoar. There were percolation columns through the upper half of the snowpack and the lower two thirds of the snowpack were moist. You could make a snowball. The depth hoar remains very weak and F+ hardness. The stout melt freeze crust was 3" thick on the southwest aspect.

Surface snow conditions varied wildly as is often the case in the spring. There was cold powder on the northern half of the compass. The crust had broken down by 11 AM on the southeast aspect and the top 3-5" were wet and rollerballs were easy to push downhill. The southwest aspect was just starting to soften as we left at 1 PM. If we continue to get good overnight freezes, we will only have to worry about wet, loose snow avalanches. Wet slab activity should be limited if there is any. 

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Some of the nicest corn skiing I have had in Beehive back down Tyler's. The danger was MODERATE for wet snow and dry snow avalanches. 

GNFAC
Southern Madison
Cabin Creek
Recent avalanches and wet snow
Snow Obsdrvation includes images
Snow Obs contain video

We rode from Taylor Fork through Cabin Creek on March 17. We saw a few recent slab avalanches that happened after the last snowfall, and some recent natural wet loose avalanches, and a cornice fall. Both (all) of these types of slides are possible for someone to trigger the next 2-3 days.

Melt freeze crust on sunny slopes was 1-1.5" thick with dry snow below. Softened on south-southwest slopes by midday to early afternoon. Shady slopes seemed to be staying dry up high. Skies were mostly clear with calm wind.

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GNFAC
Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Wet Snow and Old Deep Slab Activity
Snow Obsdrvation includes images
Snow Obs contain video

We rode to the Wilderness boundary near Astral Lake and skied a small loop through to Green Lake. We then rode across to Lulu and Daisy Passes to look for avalanches. We saw several wet loose slides on south faces. We saw no new deep slab avalanches since Alex was there last week. After a late start due to some sled issues, we dug one pit looking for new upper level weak layers. ECTNs on hardness changes. We did not note any new persistent weak layers. 
 

While it remains possible to trigger very large avalanches on persistent weak layers near the base of the snow pack, it is clearly becoming less likely. Unfortunately, if you triggered one, it would be no less deadly. 

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The danger seems to have dropped to MODERATE. Very large avalanches remain possible but they are becoming less likely. 

N.
Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Collapse in beehive

Had a pretty interesting collapse this afternoon while touring up the east ridge of Beehive. The slope I was on I measured at 30° at the highest, was below treeline but in a small meadow. The surface had melted and refroze. As I was touring across the small slope stomping to the to break the surface to set a better skin track the whole piece broke (150' wide by 50' down) together and moved down slope about 6". I quickly dug a little bit where it broke from the rest of the slope and it seamed to break near the ground, ~ 50cm and with the naked eye I could see large depth hore crystals and little to no rounding.

While I do think it was simply a collapse I was very surprised this happened and the way this whole piece moved on such a low angle slope. I hadn't seen something like this before. Guess it lines up with just how weird this season has been. 

~8560' west facing

45.31868, -111.38395

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Cooke City
Woody Ridge
Crown on E side of Woody Ridge
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Days old (?) crown on E aspect of Woody Ridge, about 9800'

 

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GNFAC
Bridger Range
Frazier Basin
Wet snow instabilities
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We skied into Frazier Basin from the Fairy Lake road. On north facing slopes the snow was dry. On south facing slopes there was a 1-2" melt freeze crust which was softening on southeast-south facing slopes around 11am-noon. Snow was generally dry below that crust, probably got a little more wet today than yesterday.

We saw a few natural wet loose avalanches run throughout the middle of the day in sunny, steep rocky terrain. There were at least 4 old, deeper avalanche crowns, most of which had been reported and occurred 1-2 weeks ago.

We dug a snowpit on a north facing slope at 8,300'. Snow depth was 140cm and there was weak depth hoar (4F hardness) 30-40cm above the ground, below a 2-3 foot deep hard slab. Compression tests broke on the depth hoar/facets at CT29 and CT(30+1), sudden collapse/Q1. 

Skies were partly cloudy in the morning and cleared with scattered clouds through the day. Wind was calm.

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R. Welk
Northern Madison
Taylor Fork
Avalanche in Taylor’s Fork
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Avalanche broke about 400ft wide and slid for 250 ft. 4-2ft deep at the crown

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J. N.
Bridger Range
Frazier Basin
Frazier Basin
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Snow was dry on North aspects when we got there around 10, and we started seeing a couple of wet loose on solar aspects where the terrain was steeper and rocky at 1130.

Snowpack started getting damp on the surface where we were skiing in the love chutes above Ainger Lake around 1300, on the descent back to the shaft house trailhead we were getting small roller balls and the snowpack was saturated below 6600 by 1430. 

 

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P. Neubauer
Northern Gallatin
Avalanche on Arden Peak
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saw this massive slide that spanned between the "Fat Maid" peak and all the way across Arden from the summit of Palace Butte yesterday.

 

 

 

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Northern Gallatin
Divide Peak
Divide Basin
Snow Obsdrvation includes images

Toured on the east ridge of Divide Peak this morning. From the summit, we saw at least three, if not more, large slab avalanche crowns and debris in Divide Cirque and surrounding basins. There were also a handful of visible wet loose slides and point-releases in the area. Winds were blowing out of the north but only really felt at ridge tops. Otherwise, it was incredibly warm. A bit after noon, the upper 6-8 inches of snow surface on the east shoulder had been impacted by the sun and wanted to slide on an old melt freeze crust below the surface. 
 

It was so beautiful up there today but the sun was powerful! The trail up and the basin were heavily impacted with the high temperatures and low wind. 

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S. Jonas
Bridger Range
The Ramp
Pits from the Ramp

Toured up north of the ski area today. East and North facing slopes stayed cold, we experienced very light downslope winds below ridgeline, we observed little no windslab formation. Dug on a north aspect about 150' below the ridgeline. HS 150cm, ECTX, structure looked better than I thought it would, basal depth hoar was 1F-, but we got PST 65/145 and PST 40/145 to end up 20cm from the ground.

Thanks!

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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Graupel in Hyalite
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Localized observation for the Grotto Falls trailhead and G1 climbing area. An inch of graupel on the surface that probably fell in the late afternoon? I don't know how widespread it is, but very prominent in this area.

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C. Pruden
Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Variety of results in Beehive Basin

Toured up to the ridge between Beehive and Middle Basins with an AIARE L2. On the lower ridge we found:

  • Pit 1
    • W aspect, 9045ft
    • Height of Snow 120cm
    • ECTP 26 in facets around 80 cm down
    • PST 38/100 end
  • Pit 2 and 3
    • E aspect, 9023ft
    • Height of Snow 150cm
    • ECTP X x2
    • PST 40/100 end
    • PST 89/100 end
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J. Alford
Bridger Range
Frazier Basin
Limited surface instability in the Bridgers

Skied up around Frazier Basin today, found limited instability in the new snow beyond sluffing. Wind loading was minimal with no large drifts, and no cracking in the new snow.  Underneath the new snow was a very supportive crust on all aspects. Did not see any new avalanche activity, but we did see numerous large old slides. Did see a good amount warming on solar aspects until the clouds moved in around noon or 11. 
 

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Anonymous
Out of Advisory Area
Lawn Mower - Town Hill
Remotely triggered Lawn Mower
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On the morning on 3/14/24, a skier remotely triggered the Lawn Mower and an adjacent path on "Town Hill" in the Absaroka Range (outside of the GNFAC advisory area) while ascending on the other side of the ridgeline from the paths. The slide ran at least 1000 ft vertical.

From IG: "1/4 to 1/2 mile wide crown. Lawnmower and adjacent gully. 2-4 ft deep. Remote trigger from ~200 ft away. Crown is 8800 ft N/NW"

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J. Hodge
Bridger Range
Ross Peak
Crown on Ross
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On our hike in we saw a crown above the East meadows on Ross. After getting up onto the shoulder we saw that the crown had a couple of inches of fresh snow on top of the debris so we assumed that the slide had happened 2 days previously with a possible human trigger. Could not see the full size of the crown due to not wanting to enter the terrain but my guess would be 2ft deep and a few hundred feet wide breaking above The Peel to the North of the Banana.

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S. Reinsel
Deep slabbies
Snow Obsdrvation includes images

Just finished a weeklong ski from west Yellowstone to bear canyon, and thought I’d chime in that I didn’t observe anything that hasn’t been reported on already. I saw lots of deep slabs breaking near the ground, primarily on the north half of the compass. But sometimes not! There did not seem to be much activity in the newer snow, which was encouraging. In 110 miles of skiing I got a grand total of two collapses, which is close to an inverse ratio of what I experienced Nordic skiing near west Yellowstone earlier this year. It was interesting to see that despite the lack of snow, some avalanches were running almost full track. It seems like after a week of being on the snow I would see some sort of pattern, but I feel like I ended the trip with the same amount of confidence I entered it with, and didn’t feel comfortable exposing myself to hardly anything. 
 

I attached a couple photos of a slide I saw toward the head end of Swam Creek. The crown was 2-5’ deep and ~2000’ wide, and it stopped within 50’ of old growth timber. 

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A. Jett
Bridger Range
Battle Ridge
A bit of new snow at battle ridge

Rode Battle Ridge to Fairy Lake Road via lower connector, then back to Battle Ridge area via upper connector. From there we took a thorough lap around the Ross Peak zone and north to the east-west boundary south of Throne, stopping to peer into the basin closed to snowmobiles south of the Throne. We observed 2 inches in the Battle ridge parking lot when we arrived and 4-5" up high. Wind was dead calm, Temperatures were hovering at freezing to above freezing. Between ross peak and throne we observed what appeared to be a wet snow avalanche from last weeks warm temperatures at 45.875941, -110.952699. We also saw no other area users which was nice. It was grauppelling while we returned to the truck.

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S. Regan
Bridger Range
Bradley Meadow
Unstable ECT on N asp near Bradleys

Went out to check on surface conditions and dig on different aspects around Bradley's meadow. 

Found variable breakable crust in many places but dry snow on northerly and non breakable crust on some southerly. Did not see anymore recent avalanches, many old D1 sized wet loose slides near rocks/cliffs.

Dug on a N slope at 7600' found 125-145 cm HS with the bottom 40cm being a mix of fist hardness facets and depth hoar, ECTP20 on the top of that layer. 

Dug on a Solar aspect at 7800' found 90cmHS and multiple melt freeze crusts, with perc columns and water pooling down to below last week's snow ( around 45cm down). The structure is similar to the north aspect with the bottom of the snowpack holding 20cm + faceted snow, though it was definitely damp today and rounding! 

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GNFAC
Island Park
Centennials - Idaho
New Snow Instability
Snow Obs contain video

We rode through White Elephant and Yale Creek to the head of Hellroaring Creek. There was 8-10” of dense new snow. Poor visibility limited The avalanche viewing. 

As we reached the upper reaches of Yale, the snowpack was 250-280cm deep. When we dropped our probes to the base of the snowpack, we found weak snow toward the bottom. CTs and ECTNs in the single digits broke below the new snow on a layer of graupel. No other upper-level instabilities were noted. The depth of the weak layers at the base of the snowpack makes them difficult to trigger but any subsequent avalanche would be catastrophic. 

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We will hold the danger at CONSIDERABLE through the storm. We will hold it CONSIDERABLE an extra day after the storm and then drop to MODERATE