11-12

A shallow but stronger snowpack was found in Bacon Rind in the southern Madison Range as well as the Lionhead Area near West Yellowstone.   

It’s black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. If you are shopping for weak faceted snow, then you’re in luck. This layer can be found near the ground in many areas. When you find this layer, you get the added bonus of either very low stability test scores or natural and human triggered avalanches.

The snowpack's character is being shaped by a variety of factors.  The most concerning and widespread issue is the presence of weak facets at or near the ground.  This setup is evident in many sections of our forecast area, and is especially apparent in the Hyalite drainage of the northern Gallatin Range (video1, video2). 

Strong winds have loaded some slopes past their breaking point.  This crown is from a natural avalnache that occurred on a slope near Mt. Blackmore.  Weak facets near the ground are struggling to support heavy loads.   Photo GNFAC

Eric Knoff investigates a recent natural avalanche on the flanks of Mt Blackmore.  Two other natural avalanches were observed.  This slope received a heavy load of wind blown snow, and the avalanche fractured on a layer of facets about 10 inches off the ground.  A similar layer of facets has been found throughout the Hyalite Canyon area.  Photo GNFAC

 Natural avalanche activity was observed in the Mt blackmore area.  A heavy wind load sitting over weak facets produced the slides.

 Weak facets near the ground are producing unstable conditoins arond Mt Blackmore.

Over the weekend many folks got into the backcountry, with the greatest numbers skiing in the  Hyalite drainage of the northern Gallatin Range.  Yesterday, my partner and I toured above Hyalite Lake.  With three feet of snow on the ground at 9,000 feet it’s one of the deeper snowpacks besides Cooke City.