15-16

This pit was dug on a wind loaded slope with small facets under the wind slab.  It broke clean in our stability tests.  Luckily this instibility is not found in most areas, but it's worth searching for. ECTP18. Photo: GNFAC

A skier dug a pit and did a stabiity test on a 9200' west facing slope. Total depth was 70cm; ECTP10@43cm down (weak layer was fist hardness .5mm facets 27cm above the ground capped with a significant 13cm thick, 1finger+ wind slab). This could be worrisome, especially since the weak layer of facets is capped by a thick wind slab. Photo: M. Young

Montana is notorious for wild weather and the past few days have been no exception. Prior to onset of this latest snowstorm, southwest Montana experienced one of the worst wind storms it has seen in years. On Wednesday, Timber weather station at the Yellowstone Club recorded a wind gust of 92 mph while gusts between 75-85 mph were recorded elsewhere. This violent wind storm downed hundreds of trees at Bridger Bowl, Big Sky and the Yellowstone club, and there’s no question the forests in the surrounding backcountry suffered extensive damage as well.

New snow amounts this morning were three to four inches in the Bridger Range and near Big Sky. Last week, Eric and I toured near Sacajawea Peak and found variable snow depth and a relatively strong snowpack (video, snowpit). The snowfall this morning added minimal weight to the snowpack.

The snowpack in Beehive Basin in thin and beginning to facet. Most slopes have 12-18 inches of snow on the ground. Photo: GNFAC

A picture of facets in Beehive Basin.  They are not big, but the cold weather will likely foster their growth.  Facets are weak and potentially a future avalanche problem.  Photo: GNFAC

From an email, "85-90cm snowdepth on east facing slopes. Elevation approximately 9500 ft. Shaded areas holding a layer of facets on the ground and a smaller, more condensed layer about 40cm off the ground. Dug 3 pits, 3 tests showed ECTN24-26 crumbling at the 40cm mark." Photo: P. Squires