22-23

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>All the mountain ranges have snow from the storm that ended on Tuesday. Today, winds will continue to get stronger and load slopes even more. East wind earlier in the week moved snow into unusual places and today's SW gusts will blow it around further. I expect newly formed wind-drifts to easily avalanche today. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The storm dropped 2-4 feet of snow, and for the most part, did not result in widespread avalanches. The exception is Cooke City where a few large avalanches ran with the storm or immediately after (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28255"><span><span><span><strong><span… and photos</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Given the large load of 4.5” </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://snow.wyo.gov/snow-surveys/snow-water-equivalent-swe"><span><span… water equivalent</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, I was pleasantly surprised to not find widespread avalanche debris as I rode around north of town yesterday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/0NbX8-TzV1w"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;).&nbsp; Throughout our forecast area, the storm’s avalanche activity was limited, which is a sign of a strengthening snowpack (videos: </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/QSMoCGCfUXA"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… Fork</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/dBHp08f7F6g"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Get ready, because here comes the caveat to a “strengthening snowpack”: today’s fresh wind-drifts will either avalanche naturally or be easily triggered. Strong wind and loose snow are a hazardous combination. Drifting snow adds weight to a snowpack that only had minimal time to adjust to the last snowstorm. Shooting cracks in a wind drift is a sign of unstable and dangerous conditions; it is Mother Nature tapping your shoulder and disapprovingly wagging her finger. Slopes that are spared wind-loading might harbor weak layers at the interface below this week’s new snow that could avalanche. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on wind-loaded slopes since human-triggered avalanches are likely. On all other slopes the danger is rated MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

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<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mountains received 6” of snow yesterday and the wind is blowing strong. I expect newly formed wind-drifts to easily avalanche today. Shooting cracks in a wind drift is a sign of unstable and dangerous conditions; it is Mother Nature tapping your shoulder and disapprovingly wagging her finger. Slopes that are spared wind-loading might harbor weak layers at the interface below this week’s new snow that could avalanche. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>