Don’t Die Today. Urgent Avalanche Warning Issued Tuesday

Skiing and riding at resorts is fine, but Tuesday is NOT the day to explore the new snow in the backcountry near Bozeman and other areas of southwest Montana. Avalanche danger is extremely high, and the risk of triggering a huge slide is very real.

According to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024:

• The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center is issuing a Backcountry Avalanche Warning for the Bridger Range near Bozeman.
• New and wind-drifted snow are overloading an exceptionally weak snowpack, creating very dangerous avalanche conditions.
• Natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely.
• Avoid avalanche terrain and avalanche runout zones.
• The avalanche danger is HIGH on all slopes.
• Contact the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center for more detailed information.
• This warning will expire or be updated by 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 14th.

Today is an avalanche accident waiting to happen. A powder-starved community and clearing skies will have excitement levels as elevated as the avalanche danger. Please do not get killed in an avalanche today.

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Human-triggered avalanches breaking up to 4 feet deep and hundreds of feet wide are likely. Backcountry travelers have triggered slides from low-angle terrain above and below steep pitches with regularity this season due to persistent weak layers buried in the snowpack.

This weekend, one group triggered three avalanches from low-angle terrain in Cooke City, a rider triggered a large slide on Lionhead Ridge from the safety of the flats (photo and observation), the same near Big Sky and in Island Park.

The largest was an avalanche that broke 4 feet deep and 4000 feet wide in Tepee Basin last Wednesday. These are a small collection of nearly 50 entries of natural and human-triggered slides recorded in our avalanche activity log in the last week alone.