20-21

<p>As temperatures warm and the snow melts in town, it’s a natural inclination to shift our focus towards spring and wet snow avalanches. But don’t forget, the lower snowpack on most slopes remains dry. The weak layers that formed last fall are still lurking down there <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q4gTjESoq0"><u>(</u><strong><u>Teepee Basin video</u></strong></a>). While these weak layers haven’t gained much strength, without recent loading you are unlikely to trigger an avalanche on them. Use safe travel practices to minimize the consequences if you do: always carry rescue gear, go one at a time in avalanche terrain, and watch your partners from a safe spot (<a href="https://youtu.be/gPWSDAr-K1Q"><strong><u>travel advice video</u></strong></a>).</p>

<p>Although temperatures will be a few degrees warmer than yesterday, increasing wind will help keep wet snow problems in check on most slopes. Still, be on the lookout for wet snow on sunny slopes as the day heats up, particularly lower elevation slopes protected from the wind. As crusts break down, if you’re sinking more than ankle deep into wet snow, it’s time to move off steep slopes before you trigger a wet slide. These slides will generally be small, but on isolated slopes where the snowpack is saturated, wet slides could gouge to the ground or break as wet slabs (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5LfdUsd0Wk"><strong><u>Specimen creek video</u></strong></a>).</p>

<p>Yesterday, skiers in the northern Bridger Range stopped during their ascent, dug, and got quite unstable test results (ECTP13). They backed off their objective and headed back to the car. This is an appropriate mindset during Low&nbsp;danger. Making more ambitious goals is reasonable, but keep searching for signs of instability and be ready to back off if you find them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Large avalanches are unlikely and the avalanche danger LOW.</p>

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<p>While conditions are generally stable in the mountains around Cooke City, there are some small and/or isolated concerns. Several small slab avalanches were reported after the last snowfall and while they will mostly have stabilized, you might still be able to trigger a similar slide (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/21/meridian-peak-avalanche"><strong>…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/21/storm-slab-cooke-city"><strong><u…;). Triggering small loose wet avalanches will also be possible as the day warms up (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/21/skier-triggered-loose-snow-slide-…;). We’ve had reports of small sluffs running long distances over firm crusts.</p>

<p>The avalanche danger is rated LOW.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong><u>websi…;, email (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong><u>mtavalanche@gmail.com</u></str…;), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>

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<p>As the day heats up, the snow surface will become wet on sunny slopes and you will likely be able to trigger small wet loose slides. These will mostly be small and inconsequential, but could pose issues in places where getting swept off your feet, even for a moment, would be a problem. If you’re sinking deeper than your ankles into wet snow, be heads up, as larger and more dangerous wet slides are possible. As I found yesterday in the Southern Gallatin Range, on some of the lowest elevation, sunniest slopes with the thinnest snowpacks meltwater has trickled down through the whole snowpack (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5LfdUsd0Wk"><strong><u>video</u></stro…;). On these slopes, loose wet slides could gouge down to the ground and wet slabs are even a possibility. Today this will only be an isolated problem, but that may change with increasing warm temps over the coming days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On most slopes, the lower snowpack remains dry and there is still weak snow at the ground <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q4gTjESoq0"><u>(</u><strong><u>Teepee Basin video</u></strong></a>). While we haven’t seen an avalanche on these layers in almost two weeks, keep the possibility of triggering a large slide breaking near the ground in the back of your mind. This is the epitome of a low likelihood, high consequence problem.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Use good travel practices to cover your bases in the unlikely case you do trigger a big slide: always carry rescue gear, only expose one person at a time to avalanche terrain and have someone watching from a safe spot (<a href="https://youtu.be/gPWSDAr-K1Q"><strong><u>travel advice video</u></strong></a>).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Large avalanches are unlikely and the avalanche danger LOW.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The lower snowpack is generally stable in the mountains around Cooke City and slightly cooler temperatures has kept wet snow from being much of an issue so far. Yesterday, Alex found minimal avalanche hazard north of town and identified wet loose avalanches involving this week’s new snow as the primary concern as temperatures continue to rise (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRcnpNGTKCQ"><strong><u>video</u></stro…;). Watch for pinwheels and rollerballs as signs that loose wet avalanches are imminent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The danger is rated LOW.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong><u>websi…;, email (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong><u>mtavalanche@gmail.com</u></str…;), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>

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