Here is your chance to brush up on your avi skills or to take a class if you have not yet. We will have packs, probes, shovels and beacons available FREE to anyone attending the class. Let me know.... 1-800-457-1116
WEST YELLOWSTONE
Snowmobilers and Skiers: Saturday, January 2 from 12-5 pm at the Holiday Inn is avalanche lectures. Sunday, January 3 will be an all day field session for both skiers and snowmobilers. $30 suggested donation. No sign up required. http://www.mtavalanche.com/education/classes/snowmobilers
Mountain Weather:
2010 has started with a bang. Since yesterday morning the mountains near West Yellowstone and Cooke City received 6-8 inches of snow, the mountains near Big Sky received 3-6 inches, and the mountains near Bozeman got 3 inches. This morning temperatures are in the teens F with ridgetop winds blowing 10-20 mph from the W and SW. Today temperatures will climb to near 20 degrees F and winds will remain the same but increase this afternoon as snowfall returns. By tomorrow morning the mountains near West Yellowstone will get 4-6 inches of snow, the mountains near Cooke City and Big Sky will get 2-4 inches, and the mountains near Bozeman will receive 1-3 inches.
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion:
The Madison and southern Gallatin Ranges, the Lionhead Area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City and the Washburn Range:
New snow has added significant stress to the fragile snowpack in mountains near Big Sky, West Yellowstone and Cooke City where weak faceted snow exists near the ground. In many areas skiers or riders will break through upper layers of snow and sink into these facets which will be obvious. In other areas like Cooke City, a supportable layer of snow will keep you from seeing these facets until you pull out your shovel and dig a few feet down. Another less obvious layer of facets formed at the snow surface during several warm sunny days and clear cold nights just after Christmas. Yesterday skiers in Beehive Basin experienced collapsing of the snowpack a sure sign of instability, and the Big Sky Ski Patrol found fresh wind slabs up to 1 foot deep. With more snow since then, the snowpack is more unstable and wind slabs are even bigger.
The combination of new snow and buried weak layers means avalanches will occur especially on wind loaded slopes. Today, natural and human triggered avalanches are likely on wind loaded slopes where the avalanche danger is rated HIGH. Sheltered slopes without wind drifted snow may not produce many natural avalanches, but human triggered avalanches are probable in this terrain where the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.
WEST YELLOWSTONE
Snowmobilers and Skiers: Saturday, January 2 from 12-5 pm at the Holiday Inn is avalanche lectures. Sunday, January 3 will be an all day field session for both skiers and snowmobilers. $30 suggested donation. No sign up required. http://www.mtavalanche.com/education/classes/snowmobilers
Mountain Weather:
2010 has started with a bang. Since yesterday morning the mountains near West Yellowstone and Cooke City received 6-8 inches of snow, the mountains near Big Sky received 3-6 inches, and the mountains near Bozeman got 3 inches. This morning temperatures are in the teens F with ridgetop winds blowing 10-20 mph from the W and SW. Today temperatures will climb to near 20 degrees F and winds will remain the same but increase this afternoon as snowfall returns. By tomorrow morning the mountains near West Yellowstone will get 4-6 inches of snow, the mountains near Cooke City and Big Sky will get 2-4 inches, and the mountains near Bozeman will receive 1-3 inches.
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion:
The Madison and southern Gallatin Ranges, the Lionhead Area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City and the Washburn Range:
New snow has added significant stress to the fragile snowpack in mountains near Big Sky, West Yellowstone and Cooke City where weak faceted snow exists near the ground. In many areas skiers or riders will break through upper layers of snow and sink into these facets which will be obvious. In other areas like Cooke City, a supportable layer of snow will keep you from seeing these facets until you pull out your shovel and dig a few feet down. Another less obvious layer of facets formed at the snow surface during several warm sunny days and clear cold nights just after Christmas. Yesterday skiers in Beehive Basin experienced collapsing of the snowpack a sure sign of instability, and the Big Sky Ski Patrol found fresh wind slabs up to 1 foot deep. With more snow since then, the snowpack is more unstable and wind slabs are even bigger.
The combination of new snow and buried weak layers means avalanches will occur especially on wind loaded slopes. Today, natural and human triggered avalanches are likely on wind loaded slopes where the avalanche danger is rated HIGH. Sheltered slopes without wind drifted snow may not produce many natural avalanches, but human triggered avalanches are probable in this terrain where the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.
