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The Bridger Range:
Over the past few weeks the Bridger Range has gone from worst to first in terms of snowfall. A favorable northwest flow has provided consistent moisture which has produced respectable snowfall amounts. Over the past 24 hours close to a foot and a half of low density snow has been recorded at the top of the Bridger Lift. This latest round of snow has been accompanied by strong west/northwest winds, which has easily transported the new snow onto leeward slopes.
Today’s primary avalanche concern for the Bridger Range will be any slope that has received a wind load. Although freshly formed wind slabs will be most pronounced along exposed ridgelines, drifts of windblown snow will also be common on the lee side of mid elevation sub-ridges. With more snow and wind forecasted through today, natural avalanches will be likely and human triggered avalanches will be very likely on all wind loaded slopes.
A secondary concern for the Bridger Range will be avalanches failing on faceted layers buried deeper in the pack. Slides initiating within the storm snow and stepping down will be the most likely cause for this type of event. Although the chances of a slide stepping down are becoming less over time, any slide that does step down will likely produce a large and unmanageable avalanche.
Today, the avalanche danger is rated HIGH on all wind loaded slopes and slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Less steep, non wind loaded slopes have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger.
