Trip Planning for Northern Gallatin

as of 5:00 am
May 18″ | NA
Apr 30 8″ | NA
Apr 29 3″ | NA
9982′     03/30 at 12:00
23.8℉
W - 1mph
Gusts 4 mph
8100′     05/07 at 08:00
29℉
Depth
Bottom Line: Spring weather can be highly variable and create a mix of avalanche problems to watch out for. Snow conditions and snow stability can change drastically from day to day or hour to hour. Anticipate rapid change and plan accordingly. Plenty of snowfall over the winter with more spring snow to come makes avalanches possible into summer.

Past 5 Days

Fri Apr 19

None
Mon Apr 22

None
Fri Apr 26

None
Mon Apr 29

None
Thu May 2

None

Relevant Avalanche Activity

Cooke City
Republic Mountain
Skier triggered large Wet loose on the fin
Incident details include images
Republic Mountain
L-ASu-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.0003, -109.9540
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From obs.: “Our party (3) triggered a significant wet loose slide on the fin today. I, the first skier dropped in next to existing tracks from earlier in the morning. I made a couple of small turns in unskied snow to test it and decided that not much was moving. As I continued down the wet surface snow started to slide and accumulate. My partner called me on the radio to tell me a lot of snow was moving behind me and I cut left. I traversed hard to lower angle terrain until I felt I could safely descend the rest of the slope.  My partners descended the bed surface until they could traverse out. 

We made several key mistakes today.  We knew it would be warm and that we should be up and down early.  We left later than planned, moved slower than expected and failed to adjust our plan.  We mistook lack of wet loose activity on similar aspects and elevations on features we could see as sign of stability.  We failed to make a plan B or establish a turnaround time.  We interpreted a party ahead of us that skied the slope as a go ahead.  Another party approaching behind us added pressure to go. They also skied the slope after us in similar style to my partners.

In our favor, we communicated well, radios were key, stayed calm and we managed ourselves through the situation. I feel humbled and lucky to have gotten away with a free lesson.  One that I didn't think I should have needed.”


More Avalanche Details
Northern Gallatin
NORTHERN GALLATIN RANGE
Remote trigger in little bear
Incident details include images
NORTHERN GALLATIN RANGE
WS-AMr-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 8,100
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.4802, -111.1320
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."... "It was definitely wet below the new snow. It was north east facing at 8100 ft"


More Avalanche Details

Relevant Photos

Displaying 1 - 40
  • On 5/4/24 Skiers triggered large wet loose slides on the Fin near Cooke City

  • From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

  • From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

  • From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

  • From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

  • From IG message: “Rode the banana today.. lots of fast moving sluff. Had a mid elevation pocket pop. New snow seemed to have bonded well, the spot that did pop had formed into 12” slab below rock face.”

  • We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

     

  • We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

     

  • We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

     

  • We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

     

  • We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

     

     

  • Skiers on 03/29/2024 saw this small avalanche on Hyalite Peak that had likely happened early that morning or the day before. Photo: W. Hubbard

  • From obs: "Spotted this big guy on the east face of Blackmore today. Seemingly natural and I believe it occurred in the last 36 hours or so. Debris had last nights snow on it. I’d estimate it at D2." Photo: E. Heiman

  • From obs: "Spotted this big guy on the east face of Blackmore today. Seemingly natural and I believe it occurred in the last 36 hours or so. Debris had last nights snow on it. I’d estimate it at D2. " Photo E. Heiman

  • Skiers on 03/29/2024 saw this avalanche on the N face of Hyalite Peak from Divide Cirque. This avalanche likely occurred in the last 24 hours. Photo: E. Webb 

  • On 03/29/2024 skiers saw this recent avalanche on a NE aspect in the Divide Cirque at 9800'. This likely happened in the last 24 hours. Photo: E. Webb 

  • The avalanche occurred on the northernmost ridgeline in the Mt. Blackmore system near the waypoint at the top of the image. GNFAC/ Gaia

  • Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep and broke a number of mature trees. Photo: GNFAC

  • Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. This photo captures the first area to avalanche on the climber's right side of the path. Photo: GNFAC

  • Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. One skier was carried to the bottom left of the runout zone. Photo: GNFAC

  • Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. One skier was carried to the bottom left of the runout zone. Photo: GNFAC

  • Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. Photo: GNFAC

  • My partner and I were approaching Responsible FamilyMan via Avalanche Gulch early yesterday morning (3/18), and once we broke through the trees into the runout zone, we stumbled across a pretty large wet avalanche debris field. The debris terminated within ~50 yards of the max runout zone. Photo: R. Parsons

  • My partner and I were approaching Responsible Family Man via Avalanche Gulch early yesterday morning (3/18), and once we broke through the trees into the runout zone, we stumbled across a pretty large wet avalanche debris field. The debris terminated within ~50 yards of the max runout zone. Photo: R. Parsons

  • A wet loose snow avalanche on the southeast aspect on Mt Blackmore at 9700 to 9800 feet elevation. Photo: C Daniels

  • Skiers a few days ago saw several deep natural avalanches near the head of Swan Creek. These avalanches broke 2-5' deep, 2000' wide, and ran "full track". The exact date of when these avalanches happened is unknown but they likely happened over a week ago in the first few days of March. Photo: S. Reinsel

  • Skiers a few days ago saw several deep natural avalanches near the head of Swan Creek. These avalanches broke 2-5' deep, 2000' wide, and ran "full track". The exact date of when these avalanches happened is unknown but they likely happened over a week ago in the first few days of March. Photo: S. Reinsel

     

     

  • Skiers noted a large natural avalanche on the North face of Mt Blackmore that broke overnight. The crown was around 8 feet deep. Photo: E. Roman

  • Skiers noted a large natural avalanche on the North face of Mt Blackmore that broke overnight. The crown was around 8 feet deep. Photo: E. Roman

  • Skiers noted a large natural avalanche on the North face of Mt Blackmore that broke overnight. The crown was around 8 feet deep. Photo: E. Roman

  • One of several natural avalanches in the upper South Cottonwood drainage that skiers saw while in Hyalite. Photo: L. Gabrielson

  • One of several natural avalanches in the upper South Cottonwood drainage that skiers saw while in Hyalite. Photo: L. Gabrielson

  • One of several natural avalanches in the upper South Cottonwood drainage that skiers saw while in Hyalite. Photo: L. Gabrielson

     

  • This large avalanche was observed on Sunday, 03/03/2024 by riders in Portal Creek. Photo taken today, 03/07/2024. Photo: G. Edwards

     

  • Skiers from History Rock saw a few recent natural avalanches on Mt. Blackmore that likely happened during or near the end of a storm on 03/02-03/03. Photo: E. Webb

  • From obs: "Shot from the top of Flanders, ~1400 this afternoon, 3/3/2024. Big slide(s) on Arden and in Maid of the Mist. Looks like the skin track and ski track between the two slides got taken out. At first glance from across the way it looked like the skin track was crossing over the debris, but when zoomed in it looks like the debris overran the skin track and the ski track." Photo: M. Zia

  • From obs: "Shot from the top of Flanders, ~1400 this afternoon, 3/3/2024. Big slide(s) on Arden and in Maid of the Mist. Looks like the skin track and ski track between the two slides got taken out. At first glance from across the way it looked like the skin track was crossing over the debris, but when zoomed in it looks like the debris overran the skin track and the ski track." Photo: M. Zia

     

  • Skiers experienced widespread cracking and collapsing while touring in Hyalite. The largest of which shot 100' out in front of them. Photo: S. Lowe

  • Skiers on 03/02/2024 observed several natural avalanches that likely happened in the last 24 hours. Photo: Anonymous 

  • Skies on 03/02/2024 observed several natural avalanches that likely happened in the last 24 hours. Photo: Anonymous 

Videos- Northern Gallatin

WebCams


Bozeman Pass, Looking SE

Snowpit Profiles- Northern Gallatin

 

Select a snowpit on the map to view the profile image

Weather Forecast Northern Gallatin

Extended Forecast for

14 Miles SE Gallatin Gateway MT

Winter Storm Warning May 7, 06:00pm until May 9, 12:00amClick here for hazard details and duration Winter Storm Warning
  • Today

    Today: Snow likely, mainly after 4pm.  Patchy blowing snow after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 23 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

    High: 31 °F

    Snow Likely
    and Patchy
    Blowing Snow

  • Tonight

    Tonight: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times.  Widespread blowing snow. Low around 23. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.

    Low: 23 °F

    Heavy Snow
    and Blowing
    Snow

  • Wednesday

    Wednesday: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times.  High near 28. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.

    High: 28 °F

    Heavy Snow

  • Wednesday Night

    Wednesday Night: Snow.  Low around 27. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

    Low: 27 °F

    Snow then
    Snow Likely

  • Thursday

    Thursday: A 40 percent chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. North wind 6 to 9 mph.  Little or no snow accumulation expected.

    High: 37 °F

    Chance Snow

  • Thursday Night

    Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.

    Low: 27 °F

    Partly Cloudy

  • Friday

    Friday: Sunny, with a high near 48. South southwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.

    High: 48 °F

    Sunny

  • Friday Night

    Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Northwest wind around 9 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.

    Low: 33 °F

    Mostly Clear

  • Saturday

    Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

    High: 54 °F

    Sunny

The Last Word

We began daily forecasts on December 7. 130 daily forecasts and 464 reported avalanches later, we wrapped up our daily forecasting season on April 14th. Read our SEASON SUMMARY to look back at the 2023-24 avalanche forecasting season.

Thank you to everyone that sent in observations, read the advisories, took an avalanche class, or donated money, time or gear. Our success is directly related to support from the community and the Forest Service. Have a safe spring and summer!

4 / 29 / 24  <<  
 
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