Today I observed multiple small wind slab avalanches off Woody Ridge. NE and E facing, 10000 ft. Max size D1. Photo: BPG
Avalanche Details: Small Wind Slab Avalanches on Woody Ridge
Cooke City, 2025-03-14
24-25
Today I observed multiple small wind slab avalanches off Woody Ridge. NE and E facing, 10000 ft. Max size D1. Photo: BPG
Avalanche Details: Small Wind Slab Avalanches on Woody Ridge
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Sat Mar 15, 2025
Cooke City, 2025-03-14
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Sat Mar 15, 2025
Wind Slab Avalanches South of Cooke
Date
Activity
Skiing
Today I observed multiple small wind slab avalanches off Woody Ridge. NE and E facing, 10000 ft. Max size D1. Also, there was many dry loose slides on Cooke Peak in Hayden Creek.
Region
Cooke City
Location (from list)
Hayden Creek
Observer Name
J Mundt
Not snowing yet
Date
Activity
Skiing
Went up to Beehive Basin to check out the new snow as it was falling ---- but it wasn't, yet (between 10 am and 1 pm). There was a dusting of new snow when we arrived at the trailhead and a few flakes fell during the couple hours we were up there, but the substantial accumulations hadn't started. In fact, skies were mostly clear during our tour.
We skinned up the west facing sub-ridge to the Prayer Flags and descended via the Going Home Chute. Surface conditions were rough on any slope that wasn't shaded, with stout melt-freeze crusts. There was still a tiny bit of old, soft snow present in the shade.
No signs of instability or recent slab avalanches noted (we did see some older, wet loose slides).
Danger was LOW, while waiting for the storm to start in earnest.
Region
Northern Madison
Location (from list)
Beehive Basin
Observer Name
Ian Hoyer
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Mar 14, 2025
Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion
<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Wind Slabs avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> are the primary concern today, where the new snow has been drifted into deeper, more cohesive slabs. These drifts may be up to 2 ft deep and could be easily triggered today, but I don’t expect these deeper drifts to be widespread. Be especially on alert in areas where you’re finding more new snow and beneath ridgelines and cornices where the deepest drifts are likely to form. Look and feel for signs of wind effect and avoid wind drifted slopes to avoid most of the avalanche hazard today. Shooting cracks or recent avalanches are the clearest signs of instability. If you see these signs, stay off steep slopes and give the new snow some time to bond. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In spots where the snow piled up deepest, you might be able to trigger a dangerous </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Storm Slab avalanche </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>on a slope without wind effect, but I mostly expect the new snow to have bonded well to the old snow surface and to be </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/#right-side-up-storm"><spa… up</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>If the sun comes out this afternoon, the new snow will quickly get wet and make for </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Wet Loose avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. These slides won’t generally be very deep, but could pick up speed and run far on firm crusts that formed over the last week. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Near West Yellowstone, </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>there is a weak layer of facets buried 2-3 ft deep that has been dormant. These probably won’t be an issue today, but we shouldn’t forget about them as they could wake up in the coming days as more new snow stacks up. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is MODERATE today across the advisory area.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Storm Snow in the Centennial Range
Date
Activity
Snowmobiling
From phone call:
Kevin took a group into the Centennials.
8" of new snow at 8000'. Surface crust below the new snow was 3 CM thick. There was a facet layer below crust that was concerning. ECTN3 below crust.
Kevin found the January facet layer 90 CM down (4F hardness) a couple miles north of White Elephant at 7800-7900' (0.5-1mm size). No results in tests but was concerned about their activation if the storm snow start stacking up.
He noted that the Wind Slab and Storm Slab problems are growing. He saw shooting cracks in the new snow, several feet in front of his skis.
Winds were light to moderate but gusting into the 20s mph.
Region
Island Park
Location (from list)
Sawtelle Peak
Observer Name
Kevin Allred
Pinwheels on the flats!
Date
Activity
Snowmobiling
The winds were strong enough combined with the higher humidity snow that pinwheels were actively forming and moving on flat to slightly downhill terrain. I hadn’t seen this often, so I thought it was worth sharing.
Region
Lionhead Range
Observer Name
Travis Hansen