Trip Planning for Lionhead Range

as of 5:00 am
Today4″ | 20-40 W
Mar 21 3″ | 10-40 W
Mar 20 0″ | 17-24 W
9420′     03/22 at 16:00
16.2℉
N - 7mph
Gusts 38 mph
7750′     03/22 at 16:00
28℉
78″ Depth
Primary Problem: Wind Slab
Bottom Line: Strong winds will drift recent snow, loading slopes where triggering wind slab avalanches that break 1-2 feet deep is likely. Ongoing snowfall and increasing winds will exacerbate this instability. Avoid steep terrain where active drifting, cornices and shooting cracks indicate instability. Select slopes sheltered from the wind—often found at middle and low elevations where the trees block the wind—for safer avalanche conditions. Manage the problem of avalanches failing on persistent weak layers by selecting less consequential terrain and following safe travel practices. Testing for instability can reduce, but will not eliminate, the chances of a surprise.

Past 5 Days

Tue Mar 18

High
Wed Mar 19

Considerable
Thu Mar 20

Considerable
Fri Mar 21

Considerable
Today

Considerable

Relevant Avalanche Activity

Lionhead Range
LIONHEAD AREA
Many Wind Slab Avalanches at Lionhead
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
LIONHEAD AREA
N-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 9,400
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 44.7292, -111.3230
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

We saw many R1-R2 wind slab avalanches below the Lionhead Ridge cornice line. Visibility was limited so I won't estimate the exact number, but nearly every time we had good views of the steep faces, we saw cornice collapses, debris, or small crown lines. There were two slides on east aspects that ran closer to full path and piled debris more deeply. I expect that most of these had run within the last 24 hours, but continuing snowfall and hurricane force winds made precisely dating these a challenge (many trees were blown down during the wind event, these too were already somewhat buried). None of the avalanches broke on persistent weak layers as far as I could tell. 


More Avalanche Details
Lionhead Range
Lionhead Ridge
recent small wind slabs at Lionhead
Incident details include images
Lionhead Ridge
SS-N-R1-D1-S
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 44.7145, -111.3180
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

We rode out Lionhead Ridge and around the north end to the head of Targhee Creek. Skies started overcast, but cleared through the day as wind calmed from moderate to light out of the west and southwest.... there were two or three shallow small wind slabs below Lionhead Ridge. 


More Avalanche Details

Relevant Photos

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Videos- Lionhead Range

WebCams


Rendezvous Ski Trail, W. Yellowstone

Snowpit Profiles- Lionhead Range

 

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Weather Forecast Lionhead Range

Extended Forecast for

10 Miles WNW West Yellowstone MT

  • Tonight

    Tonight: Patchy blowing snow before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as zero. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.

    Low: 11 °F

    Patchy
    Blowing Snow
    and Blustery
    then Partly
    Cloudy

  • Sunday

    Sunday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 3pm.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. Wind chill values as low as zero. Southwest wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.  New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

    High: 28 °F

    Mostly Cloudy
    then Chance
    Snow Showers

  • Sunday Night

    Sunday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before midnight.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

    Low: 26 °F

    Snow Showers
    Likely then
    Slight Chance
    Snow Showers

  • Monday

    Monday: A 40 percent chance of snow showers.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Southwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.  Little or no snow accumulation expected.

    High: 36 °F

    Chance Snow
    Showers

  • Monday Night

    Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. West southwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

    Low: 27 °F

    Mostly Cloudy

  • Tuesday

    Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

    High: 39 °F

    Mostly Sunny

  • Tuesday Night

    Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. South southwest wind around 10 mph becoming east after midnight.

    Low: 26 °F

    Partly Cloudy

  • Wednesday

    Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. East southeast wind around 11 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.

    High: 43 °F

    Mostly Sunny

  • Wednesday Night

    Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

    Low: 30 °F

    Partly Cloudy

The Last Word

03 / 21 / 25  <<  
 
this forecast
 
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