Good morning. This is Ian Hoyer with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Forecast on Saturday, April 2nd at 7:00 a.m. This information is sponsored by Yellowstone Ski Tours, Upper Yellowstone Snowmobile Club and Klim. This forecast does not apply to operating ski areas.
There is no new snow this morning. Temperatures are in the 20s F with 10-20 mph winds out of the west and southwest. Temperatures will rise into the 30s and low 40s F with increasing southwest winds. There will be a mix of sun and clouds before showers move in this afternoon. There may be a sprinkle of rain at lower elevations before it switches over to snow. 1-2” of new snow are possible by this evening with an additional dusting tonight.
All Regions
Large avalanches are unlikely today. The chief concern to watch for is where this week’s new snow has been blown into deeper drifts. Look for cracks shooting out in front of your skis or snowmobile as a sign that you’ve found one of these drifts where you could trigger an avalanche. The deeper the drift, the larger resulting slide would be. Even a small avalanche can be dangerous in the wrong terrain, so be very mindful of the hazards lurking below you (trees, rocks, cliffs, etc).
While temperatures are going to rise well above freezing today, clouds should move in before wet snow becomes much of an issue. A dusting of snow this afternoon won’t do much to affect either the riding conditions or the avalanche conditions. If precipitation does start as rain, or sunshine sticks around longer than expected, watch for the surface snow becoming wet as this means you’ll soon be able to trigger small loose wet avalanches on steep slopes. If it gets wet more than a few inches deep, move off steep slopes.
While unlikely, it’s also not impossible to trigger a dangerous avalanche today on deeper weak layers (Flanders video). Cover your bases by going one at a time on steep slopes, watching your partners from a safe spot, and always carrying your avalanche rescue gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, probe).
The avalanche danger is LOW today.
If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our website, email (mtavalanche@gmail.com), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).
Hyalite Canyon Road is now closed to vehicle traffic for the spring thaw and will reopen on May 16th.