21-22

<p>This weekend’s storm was one of the larger storms of the season. In Hyalite, it was <em>the largest storm</em> of the season (with 2.5” of snow water equivalent).&nbsp; With so much fresh snow, there were many avalanches, both human triggered and natural (see the <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><u>avalanche log</u></a> for a surely incomplete list). Avalanches were remotely triggered (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/26522"><strong><u>details</u></strong>…;) and caught and carried skiers (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/26536"><strong><u>details</u></strong>…;). The new snow has now had some time to stabilize, so it won’t be so wildly unstable today, but you could still trigger a slide. Watch for cracks shooting in front of you as signs that the new snow is unstable. The hazard will linger longest on shady, high elevation slopes where the snowpack stays the coolest. Digging down to test the interface between the new and old snow will let you know if you’ve found a slope where you could still trigger a slab avalanche.</p>

<p>The major hazard has now shifted to wet snow concerns. Strong late spring sun and temperatures well above freezing will quickly destabilize the new snow. With so much new snow, loose avalanches could pick up a lot of volume and be very dangerous. Plan to avoid steep sunny slopes as they warm up. Conditions will change rapidly, so if you see and feel the snow surface getting wet, don’t delay. Quickly move to lower angled terrain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As it gets cloudier and a little cooler later in the week and further out from the big storm, the avalanche hazard will generally decrease. However, there may be a little bit of new snow, in which case, newly formed wind drifts will be a concern. If it does snow, watch out for those wind drifts, particularly in very steep, high consequence terrain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This week’s weather will be classic Montana spring weather, with a little bit of everything&nbsp; - sun, clouds, warm temps, and maybe some rain or snow. This means you’ll need to be ready for anything. That means carrying rescue gear (beacon, shovel &amp; probe), traveling with a partner, and watching for signs of instability is essential.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We will issue spring snowpack and weather updates each Monday and Friday through April and we will share relevant avalanche and snowpack information on our website and social media. 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>