Trip Planning for Bridgers

as of 5:00 am
Today3″ | 20-45 W
Dec 9 4″ | 10-45 W
Dec 8 0″ | 20-53 W
8100′     12/10 at 14:00
18℉
0″New
8500′     12/10 at 14:00
13℉
W - 26mph
Gusts 40 mph
Primary Problem: Wind Slab
Bottom Line: Wind speeds picked up last night, especially in the Bridger Range, where they are gusting to 45 mph. Human-triggered avalanches are likely on wind-loaded slopes. Avoid steep slopes where you observe signs of instability, active wind-loading or evidence of fresh drifts. Choose slopes sheltered from the effects of the wind, and test the snowpack for instability related to buried weak layers before considering travel in avalanche terrain.

Past 5 Days

Fri Dec 6

Low
Sat Dec 7

Low
Sun Dec 8

Low
Mon Dec 9

Moderate
Today

Considerable

Relevant Avalanche Activity

Bridger Range
Bridger Bowl
Natural Wet Snow Avalanche, in Bridgers
Incident details include images
Bridger Bowl
WL-N-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 8,500
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 45.8156, -110.9230
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

On Sunday, an R2-D2 wet snow avalanche broke out of the run Close Call within the boundaries of Bridger Bowl. This is a rocky, south-facing run. The slide ran ~650 vertical feet. The width of the chute constrained it, but it broke about 20 feet wide. 

From obs 12/1: "A decent sized loose/ wet D1.5 came down between laps (probably 1300) in what i believe is called gangstas. South facing, steep, thin and rocky. "

 


More Avalanche Details
Bridger Range
Saddle Peak
Natural Avalanches on Saddle Peak
Incident details include images
Saddle Peak
SS-N-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 9,100
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.7943, -110.9360
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Driving up Bridger Canyon this morning, we noted several natural avalanches in wind loaded terrain on Saddle Peak, the Football Field, and in Mundy’s Bowl. All The avalanches seems to be a similar wind slab problem. They broke just below the cornice line. From a distance and considering yesterday’s new snow, I would guess a foot deep or so (R2, D2, I)


More Avalanche Details
Bridger Range
Bridger Bowl
Cracking and wind slab formation at Bridger
Bridger Bowl
Coordinates: 45.8156, -110.9230
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Wind was ripping on the ridge and creating hard wind slabs 3-6” in depth. Without much new snow to transport they weren’t very large or widespread, but we got cracking and propagation on a steeper terrain feature (Hidden) near the ridge that led to us skiing a different line. The slab development was also found in isolated areas further down from the ridge in cross loaded gullies, but slabs were isolated to breaking at the skis. 


More Avalanche Details

Relevant Photos

Displaying 1 - 39
  • Skiers north of Bridger Bowl Ski Area noted that solar aspects (south-facing) were beginning to shed and there were a number of wet loose avalanches. Photo: E. Heiman

  • Wind-rippled snow surface near the top of Slushman's Lift. Photo: GNFAC

  • Mark investigates a thin and weakening snowpack. Despite air temperatures near 40 degrees F mid-day on Monday, the snow surface was 21 degrees F. These large temperature gradients will drive rapid faceting. Photo: GNFAC

  • Despite air temperatures near 40 degrees F on Monday, the snow surface was 21 degrees F. These large temperature gradients will drive rapid faceting. Photo: GNFAC

  • The runout of a wet snow avalanche that occurred on Sunday. This is a rocky, south-facing run. Photo: GNFAC

  • On Sunday, there was an R2-D2 wet snow avalanche out of the run Close Call (see photo). This is a rocky, south-facing run. Photo: GNFAC

  •  A decent sized loose/ wet D1.5 came down between laps (probably 1300) in what i believe is called gangstas. South facing, steep, thin and rocky. Photo: A. Newman

  • "Dug a quick pit at 8000', NE aspect, ~30deg slope

    Total Height of snow: 80cm

    The snowpack is generally in quite good shape for this time of year. Right side up and wet snow at the ground! No primary layer of concern where I dug and the new snow seems to be bonding well. Because of this I did not perform any stability tests." Photo: A. Newman

     

  • WE facing snow at 8100 ft Cabin Ck

  • SE facing snow Cabin Creek

  • N facing snow Cabin Creek, 9000 ft

  • Big Sky Ski Patrol triggered this avalanche during mitigation work in The Wave on 11/26/24... "2-3' deep on an ice crust just above the ground with a 2# shot in the Upper rodeo. Volume was limited as most of the snow was loaded just underneath the cornice, but still produced a sizeable size 2... Other paths in the Lenin region ran meaty wind slabs, full track with no significant step downs." Photo: BSSP

  • Driving up Bridger Canyon this morning, we noted several natural avalanches in wind loaded terrain on Saddle Peak, the Football Field, and in Mundy’s Bowl. All The avalanches seems to be a similar wind slab problem. They broke just below the cornice line. Photo: GNFAC

  • Cracking on old, faceted, October snow hundreds of feet long. North facing near treeline. Photo: BSSP

  • Intentional, human-triggered avalanche by a ski patrol breaking at the ground on a north facing slope near treeline. Photo: BSSP

  • From obs: "I dug a quick pit just off from the ridge and noted an HS of 55cm with an 3cm decomposing crust about 29cm up from the ground. Snowpack ranged from fist hardness down to 1 finger at the base. And though the grains at the ground had some edges and corners, I did not note truly faceted snow at the base."

    Photo: H. Darby 

  • Wind was ripping on the ridge and creating hard wind slabs 3-6” in depth. Photo: C. Avis 

  • A small avalanche released in the northern bridger range on Sunday. Photo: Amelia

  • A small avalanche released in the northern bridger range on Sunday. Photo: Amelia

  • Snowboarders in the northern Bridger Range found a thin snowpack with wind slabs layered on wind slabs. Photo: Z. Bailey

  • Snowboarders in the northern Bridger Range found a thin snowpack with wind slabs layered on wind slabs. Photo: Z. Bailey

  • Thin storm slabs in the entrance to Hidden Gully. Photo: M. Beck

  • Small storm slabs in Hidden Gully. Photo: M. Beck

  • From obs: "I made it up to an old crown in a north-facing chute around Fairy Lake at around 9400 ft; it broke the night of 11/6 or the morning of 11/7. It looked like a wind slab that broke on a rotten layer of facets intermixed with scree. Found facets to be fairly widespread through the bottom of the snowpack on the north-facing slopes and surface hoar on most nonsolar slopes." Photo: J. Alford

  • Natural avalanche in Z-chute. observed 11/9. date of activity unknown.

  • At 8000' just below the Sacajawea trail bowl, there is about 9" of snow.
     

     

  • From obs: "On 20241107 I observed a small natural avalanche from the top of the PK lift at Bridger Bowl. The slide occurred  near the Slushman’s lift on a NNE aspect. It started as a small release in the upper start zone and entrained much of the snow in the couloir down to the ground. L-N-D1.5- G... It was a relatively small slide but had enough power to carry a skier or rider through some very nasty terrain. Similar aspect and elevation to the Super Couloir slide." Photo: P. Crockard

  • "Skier triggered Pocket in super couloir. Wasn't very unexpected, the skiers left side felt a little slabbier than the skiers right and tried to stay off. Triggered going over a sharky rock spot, not very fast moving and easy to ski out of. Snow depth was 2-2.5 feet." Photo: Anonymous

  • Skiers spotted a skier-triggered avalanche from a distance. Photo: R. Cigler

  • Snowpit at Bridger Bowl on 11/5. Photo: B. VandenBos

  • From e-mail: "Photo attached from near top of hyalite peak, 11/2. Cracking in recent hard wind slab, I had to really jump hard to make this. Walked on many other hard slabs that were well bonded. Highly variable snowpack. I think you'd be most likely to get into trouble by popping out a small hard slab pocket like this and getting magic carpeted into some thinly covered terrain." Photo: B. VandenBos

  • The high peaks of the Bridger Range are holding snow from storm to storm. This will likely make up the foundation of the season’s snow pack. Photo: GNFAC

  • The high peaks of the Bridger Range are holding snow from storm to storm. This will likely make up the foundation of the season’s snow pack. Photo: GNFAC

  • The high peaks of the Bridger Range are holding snow from storm to storm. This will likely make up the foundation of the season’s snow pack. Photo: GNFAC

  • Screenshots of webcams throughout the forecast area show new snow and snow cover on November 1.

  • From obs: "1-3 mm faceting in front of the Montage. Clear skys and mid 20 temps"

  • On October 17, rain turned to snow and blanketed the mountains of southwest Montana with a fresh coat of snow. Photo: Yellowstone Club Webcam

  • On October 17, rain turned to snow and blanketed the mountains of southwest Montana with a fresh coat of snow. Photo: Bridger Bowl Webcams

  • The 26th annual fundraiser for the Friends of the GNFAC is October 25 at the Emerson Cultural Center. More info and tickets at: https://events.eventgroove.com/event/Powder-Blast-2024-101627

WebCams


Bridger Base Area

Ridge, Looking North

Alpine Apron

Snowpit Profiles- Bridgers

 

Select a snowpit on the map to view the profile image

Weather Forecast Bridgers

Extended Forecast for

10 Miles NNE Bozeman MT

  • This Afternoon

    This Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. West wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

    High: 25 °F

    Mostly Sunny

  • Tonight

    Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. West wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

    Low: 22 °F

    Partly Cloudy

  • Wednesday

    Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 32. West southwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

    High: 32 °F

    Partly Sunny

  • Wednesday Night

    Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Southwest wind around 10 mph.

    Low: 21 °F

    Mostly Cloudy

  • Thursday

    Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. South southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

    High: 32 °F

    Mostly Sunny

  • Thursday Night

    Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.  Little or no snow accumulation expected.

    Low: 25 °F

    Chance Snow

  • Friday

    Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Southwest wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

    High: 30 °F

    Mostly Sunny

  • Friday Night

    Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. South wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

    Low: 23 °F

    Mostly Cloudy

  • Saturday

    Saturday: A slight chance of snow.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

    High: 34 °F

    Slight Chance
    Snow

The Last Word

12 / 9 / 24  <<  
 
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