New Avalanche Warning Issued for Areas in Southwest Montana

LOTS of snow and gusty winds have created very dangerous avalanche conditions in southwest Montana and parts of Idaho. Avalanche warnings continue for some of the most popular recreational areas, with the snow and wind persist on Tuesday.

The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center has issued an Avalanche Warning for the following locations:

• The Centennial Range near Island Park.
• The Lionhead area near West Yellowstone.
• The Mountains around Cooke City.

The main culprit has been wind drifts, with gusty winds and more continuing on Tuesday. According to the GNFAC Warning:

• Natural and human triggered avalanches are likely today.
• Heavy snowfall continued yesterday near Island Park and West Yellowstone.
• Snow totals were a little less in Cooke City yesterday, but heavy snowfall will continue there today.
• 3 to 4 feet of new snow have fallen since last Thursday.
• Large, natural avalanches have been breaking and will continue to break today.
• Yesterday, there were many large natural avalanches along Lionhead Ridge (see the video below)

Get our free mobile app

• Very strong winds have drifted snow at all elevations.
• Storm Slab, Wind Slab and Persistent Slab avalanches could all break today
• Any of them will be large enough to kill or seriously injure a rider or skier.
• Even non-windloaded slopes without persistent weak layers have the potential for deadly slides.
• Avoid travel on slopes steeper than 30 degrees and also on lower-angle terrain in the runout zones beneath avalanche paths.
• The avalanche danger is HIGH.

The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center also has may educational resources and classes for those who love the outdoors. (Friends of GNFAC courses meet requirements outlined for awareness programs as outlined by the American Avalanche Association.)

You can also find the GNFAC on YouTube for on-site video conditions.