Bridger Range

An overnight refreeze will limit the wet loose hazard in the morning, but temperatures are rising quickly into the 50s. Once you see rollerballs or begin sinking into the snow, leave sun-exposed slopes immediately and move to shadier ones. Wet loose avalanches can gouge deeply and can become large enough to bury a person.

Seek out smaller, wind-sheltered slopes to avoid wind slabs. Shooting cracks or propagation when you test the snowpack are signs to back off. Most wind loading occurred near ridgelines and on large slopes, with cross loading.

Today’s story is twofold: there is a chance for wind slab avalanches, along with increasing wet loose avalanche activity as temperatures warm throughout the day.

In the past two days, winds have transported new snow into drifts, forming slabs such as on Saddle Peak in the Bridger Range (see observation). Some of these wind-loaded slopes released naturally, as Dave observed near Fox Mountain in Cooke City. Further wind slabs were reported on Saddle Peak in the Bridger Range and near Middle Peak in Bear Basin. In Cooke City, riders triggered a few small avalanches on wind-loaded slopes (observation). Most wind loading has occurred near ridgelines and on large, cross-loaded slopes. 

In the Bridger Range, wet loose avalanches started releasing around 10 am yesterday (South Bowl, Bridger Gully). A clear night and below-freezing temperatures allowed the snow surface to refreeze, locking up the wet snow hazard during the morning hours across the entire advisory area. With temperatures rising into the 40s, wet loose avalanches are possible later in the day, particularly on steep, sun-exposed slopes. In the Bridger Range, temperatures are expected to peak in the 50s (about 10 to 20 degrees warmer than yesterday). Wet loose avalanches are likely as soon as the surface crust breaks down. They can gouge deeply into the snow and become large enough to bury a person.

So what?The best skiing and riding today you will find on northerly slopes that have been sheltered from both sun and wind. That means, steer around wind drifts, especially near ridges. Cracking is a sign to back off, as is propagation when you test the snowpack.If you prefer sunshine and crusty snow over shady slopes, the morning will offer your best window. Once you start noticing rollerballs or begin sinking into wet snow, it is time to head out or move to more northerly-facing slopes. Keep in mind that wet loose avalanches can entrain a lot of snow and travel far. Seek out terrain away from runout zones and minimize travel underneath sun-exposed, steep slopes when the snow is wet.

The avalanche danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE in the Bridger Range and is MODERATE throughout the rest of the forecast area, especially later in the day when the snow gets wet.

NOTE about Bridger Bowl - The ski area is closed and open for uphill travel with backcountry conditions. Be aware that when you make terrain choices there is no ski patrol performing avalanche mitigation or ready to help if you get hurt. In case of an accident, call 911.