24-25

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>There are two main avalanche concerns today - avalanches breaking within recently wind-drifted snow and avalanches breaking deep in the snowpack on persistent weak layers 1-2 ft off the ground.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Wind Slab avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> are most likely in the areas that have more new snow. Keep an eye out for wind drifts deeper than a couple inches. If you find a drift on a steep slope, either steer around it or assess how well it has bonded to the old snow.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>You’re most likely to trigger a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Persistent Slab avalanche </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>in a thinner snowpack. That could be a lower elevation slope, a thin spot near rocks, or somewhere in the zones around West Yellowstone that generally have a thinner snowpack. While these slides are most likely to start in a thin area, they could propagate out into deeper places and turn into quite a big avalanche. If you want to get into steeper terrain, look for slopes with a uniformly thick snowpack (5+ ft deep) and accept that there is still some possibility you may trigger a slide. Make sure you and your partners all have rescue gear and the rest of your group is watching from a safe spot in case you get unlucky.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Human triggered avalanches are possible and the avalanche danger is MODERATE today.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Around Bozeman and Big Sky, avalanches have become unlikely on slopes unaffected by the wind. With weak layers in the snowpack, there is always some chance of triggering a deeper slide, but you should focus most of your attention on watching out for wind drifts.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As you travel through the mountains today, you’ll find wind drifts that formed at different times over the last week and are bonded to different degrees. Strong winds a couple days were drifting snow at low elevations and in atypical locations, so stay alert even when you’re not up in the normal loading areas near ridgelines. New drifts will likely be thin, but easier to trigger, while older drifts are potentially thicker, but less likely to avalanche. Carefully assess the depth and bonding of drifts before getting into steep terrain. Cracks shooting out in front of your skis or sled are a clear sign of unstable snow and should lead to a quick retreat off steep slopes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is MODERATE on wind loaded slopes and LOW on non-wind loaded slopes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>