From obs on Divide Peak (2/4/22): "On the way out a surfed over a steep roll over that fractured and slid. It appeared to have slid on the new snow interface."
21-22
From obs (2/4/22) on Divide Peak: "the wind was cooking for most of the day and each lap the skin track was covered in places. There was wind loading along the ridge the snow was pretty cohesive and wanted fracture and propagate but I was not surfing steep enough slopes for this to happen"
Cohesive snow
Date
Activity
Snowboarding
I toured up to the East shoulder of divide to surf the 30 deg east facing slope
the wind was cooking for most of the day and each lap the skin track was covered in places
There was wind loading along the ridge
the snow was pretty cohesive and wanted fracture and propagate but I was not surfing steep enough slopes for this to happen
On the way out a surfed over a steep roll over that fractured and slid
it appeared to have slid on the new snow interface
I would not have trusted any slopes that were getting loaded today
attached are the photos
Region
Northern Gallatin
Location (from list)
Divide Cirque
Mt. Evans cornice triggered avalanche
Date
Activity
Snowmobiling
Snowmobilers reported seeing a large avalanche that appeared to have been triggered by a cornice fall on the east side of Mt. Evans in the east Pintlers, and it ran to the bottom of the bowl that most folks ride in at the head of 12 mile creek.
Region
Butte Area
Observer Name
Will Shoutis(secondhand)
Blackmore snow obs
Date
Activity
Skiing
Dug on Blackmore today. Aspect: 100 degrees. Elevation 9600 feet. Winds were moderate. HS 105cm. Concerning layer was Interface between older January snow and recent snow approx 92cm from the ground. This layer was very visible within the pit. Multiple Extended column test were done. All with similar results ECTN9 on this layer. Seems like there just wasn’t enough load on this yet to be a problem in this very specific area. Areas that are more loaded with this layer present are probably a different story. Going forward with caution based on these obs.
Region
Northern Gallatin
Location (from list)
Mt Blackmore
Observer Name
Porter Crockard
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Feb 3, 2022
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p>Monday and Tuesday’s 10” of new snow is getting blown into drifts which will be widespread. At ridgelines wind is strong and gusty from the W-SW and even at lower elevations the wind is strong enough to move snow. The drifts are piling onto a weak surface (sugary/faceted) and I expect them to easily crack and possibly avalanche, with the potential to propagate wider than we might think. Weak layers are found in the upper 12-18” of the snowpack. Ian rode into Buck Ridge yesterday and determined that wind-loading would create instability, and last night it blew at all elevations. Wind drifts will be found at ridgelines and in gullies. Unintentionally triggering a wind pillow, even a small one, could injure and/or bury you. Today, avalanches are possible on wind-loaded slopes and the danger is rated MODERATE. On slopes untouched by the wind, the danger is rated LOW.</p>
<p>The mountains south of Big Sky to West Yellowstone and Cooke City received 5-6” of snow on Monday and Tuesday. Winds have been mostly light and wind drifting could be found in a few isolated areas. Two skiers outside Cooke City found one of these slopes and triggered a slide in a steep, technical gulley near Goose Lake (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/25697"><strong><u>details and photo</u></strong></a>). One person was carried 600’ and partially buried with his head under the snow. His partner rescued him within a couple minutes and was thankfully uninjured. In general, avalanches are unlikely today. Although there is weak snow in the upper 12-18” of the snowpack, a few inches of snow earlier in the week was not enough to tip the scales toward widespread instability. On Tuesday <a href="https://youtu.be/6aMGx0KCKFU"><strong><u>I was in Cooke City</u></strong></a> happily skiing in a snowstorm (yeah!), yet also concerned about loading which did not happen because the snow stopped (waah!). For today, the avalanche danger is rated LOW. As yesterday’s skier triggered avalanche illustrates, a low danger does not mean slides are impossible, just improbable. </p>
<p>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>
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THIS SATURDAY: KING AND QUEEN OF THE RIDGE
Do you like to hike? Do you like to ski? Then the King & Queen of the Ridge is for you. Hike, ski and raise money for the Friends of the Avalanche Center in their 2nd biggest fundraiser of the year. Join the effort to promote and support avalanche safety and awareness! Fundraising prizes for top 5 individuals who raise over $500. No racing is necessary to compete for the fundraising prizes. Info is HERE.