24-25
Texas Meadows
Date
Activity
Skiing
Toured into Texas Meadows this morning. No avalanche activity seen, no cracking or collapsing. Northern aspects and higher elevations holding better snow, without a wind or sun crust.
Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
Texas Meadow
Observer Name
C. Robinson
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Wed Mar 12, 2025
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>It’s getting harder to find soft snow as a result of warm temperatures and very strong winds. It’s also unlikely to trigger an avalanche. While skiing in the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34568"><span><span><span><span><span><… yesterday</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, my partner and I found very hard drifts and wind slabs that seemed welded into place. However, we skied around them because I don’t like messing with avalanches.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Wind slabs</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> will be the main thing to steer clear of today. Despite recent very strong winds, they have moved minimal snow as Ian found in the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34571"><span><span><span><span><span><… Bridgers yesterday</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Seek out soft snow on shady slopes untouched by wind for the safest and best riding conditions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Near West Yellowstone, a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>persistent slab </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>avalanche problem is mostly dormant. However the weak layer of facets 2-3 feet deep may start to wake up sometime in the near future if enough snow piles up.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today the avalanche danger is LOW.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Upcoming Avalanche Education and Events
Avalanche awareness focused on springtime avalanche conditions: Thursday, March 13 at the Bozeman REI from 6-7:30 p.m.
Snowfall forecast through Friday evening, March 14
Windy windy windy
Date
Activity
Skiing
Rode into Fairy Lake and skinned up the east shoulder of Naya Nuki. Winds went from strong to extreme out of the south in the early afternoon and were absolutely hammering. Despite the crazy winds, there was really no snow left to transport, so there was no active windloading. Wind surfaces were highly variable, from sastrugi to windboard to meltfreeze crusts to protected powder in the trees.
Saw no signs of instability or recent slab avalanches. We did see a good bit of wet loose activity that likely happened a couple days ago.
Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
Fairy Lake
Observer Name
Ian Hoyer
Mountain goat hanging out in Wolverine Bowl
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Wed Mar 12, 2025
Bridgers
Date
Activity
Skiing
Toured onto the west side into Jones Creek and then down Wolverine Bowl. Found lots of crusty snow, wind scoured snow, hard wind drifts, and even some warm, dry powder. No near surface facets which is a good thing for future stabilty.
Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
Wolverine Bowl
Observer Name
Staples
Good Stability Until the Reset
Date
Activity
Snowmobiling
We rode from the Sawtelle Parking area up the shoulder of Sawtelle, across Yale Creek and above East Hotel Creek, through Jefferson Bowl, into Hellroaring Creek drainage to the base of Reas before reversing the order and heading out. We saw no avalanches and no signs of instability. Three snowpits (above East Hotel, in Jefferson Bowl, and above Hellroaring) revealed nothing remarkable - ECTXs and ECTNs in the 20s. The south-facing pit above East Hotel had many crust facet sandwiches, but none are currently an issue. It would take a significant load to bring up any concerns about avalanches breaking on persistent weak layers deeper in the storm.
Stability is good. There are tracks everywhere, and we are looking forward to a reset, hopefully arriving Wednesday night. Most slopes have a melt-freeze crust at the surface. There is no remarkable weakening at the surface to note at this point. Unless something changes between now and Wednesday, instability should be limited to the incoming snow and wind-drifted snow.
Region
Island Park
Location (from list)
CENTENNIAL RANGE
Observer Name
Dave Zinn