60+ mph winds chews through ridgetop snow quickly. There were many natural avalanches during the wind storm yesterday and today. Photo: GNFAC
In a SW facing pit near Taylor Fork, I was able to peel this slab away after it did not break with an Extended Column Test. This slab is strong and has no weak layers that are fracturing. Model: Genevieve Chabot. Photo: GNFAC
The Bridger Range, The Madison and Gallatin Ranges, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City and the Washburn Range:
The old saying 'If you don't like the weather in Montana wait 5 minutes' seems to be more accurate than ever. Temperatures have fluctuated wildly; ranging from well below zero this past Wednesday to near fifty degrees above zero yesterday. The one common element that has tied the last few days together is WIND!
Strong winds over the past few days have loaded leeward slopes. Although manageable in size, slides similar to this one could have more severe consequences if triggerd in steeper, more exposed terrain.
The Bridger and northern Gallatin Ranges:
The Bridger and northern Gallatin Ranges:
The Bridger and northern Gallatin Ranges received about 30 inches of new snow from last weekend’s storm. Unfortunately this snow did not get much time to relax before strong E winds blew on Tuesday. For the past 2 days strong winds have blown from the W. This combination alone makes human triggered avalanches likely on wind loaded slopes.
