Caution advised for snow falling off of building roofs. Park accordingly.

Dangerous avalanche conditions may already exist in many back country areas, please call the Recorded Avalanche Advisory 406-587-6981 for the most current conditions.

Today: Partly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Patchy freezing fog in the morning. Highs 23°F to 29°F.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Patchy freezing fog after midnight. Lows -2°F to 4°F.

Friday: Mostly sunny. Patchy freezing fog in the morning. Highs 22°F to 28°F.

Friday Night: Mostly clear. Lows -4°F to 2°F.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. Patchy freezing fog. Highs 23°F to 29°F.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows 4°F to 10°F.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs 23°F to 29°F.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 4°F to 10°F.

Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs 21°F to 27°F.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 7°F to 13°F.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Highs 22°F to 28°F.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 9°F to 15°F.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs 22°F to 28°F.

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Mountain Weather

Overnight warm air moved into the area, and this morning mountain temperatures were near 20 degrees Fahrenheit. An inversion has put most valley temperatures just below zero Fahrenheit and in West Yellowstone valley temperatures were at -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Yesterday for a brief period winds increased both in the Bridger Range and near Cooke City. By this morning winds were blowing 10 to 15 mph from the West and North with gusts of 20 mph. Near Bridger Bowl, mid-mountain winds were blowing 20 to 30 mph. Today mountain temperatures will climb into the high 20s Fahrenheit and low 30s Fahrenheit under clear, sunny skies. Winds should be mostly calm blowing 5 to 10 mph.

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion:

The Bridger, Gallatin and Madison Ranges, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone and Cooke City:

A low danger does not mean no danger and there is always some avalanche problem to consider. Today the primary problem is a combination of older wind slabs resting on small, faceted crystals.

Cold nights and relatively warm, sunny days formed small, faceted crystals near the snow surface in some places. In recent days, short periods of increased winds occurred in various areas. In places like the Bridger Range, downslope winds formed slabs far below ridgetops. Avalanches can be triggered where wind slabs rest on these weak facets. Unfortunately knowing exactly where this combination exists is difficult. Doug didn't find this combination near Cooke City yesterday where he was riding, but not finding it on one slope doesn't mean it doesn't exist on another.

The only reported avalanche activity has been several wind slabs near Cooke City about three days ago and a small avalanche on Saddle Peak. Given the high number of skiers and riders in the backcountry, this avalanche activity is minimal but worth noting. With no new snow and a generally strong snowpack, avalanches are unlikely today and the Avalanche Danger is LOW.

The next advisory tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. If you have any snowpack or avalanche observations, drop us a line at mtavalanche@gmail.com or call us at: 406-587-6984.

PHOTOS, SNOWPITS, and VIDEOS

1. For links to Articles, Education and (photos) and (videos) listed in the above report, please visit this Link.

2. They have recently uploaded more photos and snowpits to their web site, more than what are linked in the advisory above.

3. They have creating a series of "How To…" stability test videos. So far they have clips on performing a CT and ECT. They are located under Stability Tests on their Resources page.

Information provided by Doug Chabot, Mark Staples, and Eric Knoff from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. For Photos and Videos, please visit the Avalanche Centers Website!

If you have any snowpack or avalanche observations, drop them a line at mtavalanche@gmail.com or call: 406-587-6984.

For detailed Avalanche Terms utilized here, please see the Avalanche Glossary.