20-21
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Nov 13, 2020
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p>This week’s new snow and strong winds brought avalanches along with them. Yesterday, skiers in the northern Bridger Range triggered a small wind slab that broke 6” deep and 50 ft wide (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/20/wind-slab-n-bridgers"><u>photo</u…;). Another similar slide was reported in the area as well. This is a good reminder that it doesn’t take a lot of new snow to cause avalanches, especially when there are strong winds to drift that snow around. Stay on alert - we will have both more new snow and more strong winds over the next few days. </p>
<p>Snow coverage is still spotty in most areas. Slopes with the most coverage are generally wind drifted, shady, and higher elevation. They have been holding snow through the last month and a layered snowpack has started to develop. Whether you’re seeking out these slopes intentionally to ski or ride, or crossing them incidentally while pursuing another activity, careful assessment is needed if you’re getting into avalanche terrain. </p>
<p>Watch for shooting cracks, collapses, and recent avalanches as bulls-eye data the snow is unstable. Uncertainty is especially high this time of year - take a few minutes to get your shovel out to assess the snowpack before crossing any steep snow covered slope.</p>
<p>We’ll be updating the <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><strong><u>weather log</u></strong></a>, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/photos"><strong><u>photos page</u></strong></a> and <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/avalanche-activity"><strong><u>avalanche activity list</u></strong></a> daily and issuing early season updates throughout the fall as conditions merit. If you have avalanche, snowpack or weather observations to share, please 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>
Upcoming Avalanche Education and Events
See our education calendar for an up to date list of all local classes. Here are a few select upcoming events and opportunities to check out:
The 6th Annual MSU Snow and Avalanche Workshop will be an hour of live online talks each Monday evening in November.
Small skier triggered slides in Northern Bridgers
Hardscrabble Peak
Bridger Range
Code
HS-ASu-R1-D1
Latitude
45.91510
Longitude
-110.98100
Notes
On 11/12, two small slides were reported in the Northern Bridger Range near Fairy Lake, at least one of which was skier triggered.
The skier triggered slide was "a wwind slabapproximately 50 X 50’ with a 6” crown. The slab slablf was only about 4” thick and only slid about 5” down the slope before stopping, and I was able to stop and then turn around and ski off of the slab withslabit moving any further. The 4” of dry slab was sislabg on about 3” of sugary snow that was on a very firm icy bed surface."bed surface
We don't have details on the other slide, but it was reported as a wind slab avalanche on the NE side of Pomp Peak.
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Hard slab avalanche
Trigger
Skier
Trigger Modifier
u-An unintentional release
R size
1
D size
1
Slab Thickness
6.0 inches
Vertical Fall
50ft
Slab Width
50.00ft
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year
From obs: "while I was skinning up to the rollover I popped off a wind slab approximately 50 X 50’ with a 6” crown. The slab itself was only about 4” thick and only slid about 5” down the slope before stopping, and I was able to stop and then turn around and ski off of the slab without it moving any further. The 4” of dry slab was sitting on about 3” of sugary snow that was on a very firm icy bed surface." Photo: Anonymous
From IG message: Northern Bridgers is seeing a lot of avalanche hazard. Deep wind slabs where I was on Hardscrabble (SE aspect and NE). On my skin out I saw two avalanche crowns on the NE side of Pomp Pk. One had a party of two that triggered it and they were starting to descend away from avy terrain. Asked some other skiers up there what they saw and similar findings throughout the area. Dug one pit that showed facets on the ground covered by hard, icy snow with wind loaded snow on top of that.
Watch the video HERE!