Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Logo © Copyright Page Makers, LLC
Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Grizzly Logo © Copyright Page Makers, LLC

Yellowstone National Park Winter Weather Links
Avalanche Advisory Special Weather Info
Daily Winter Weather Report Winter Road Report
Snow Depth Totals Yellowstone Weather Forecast

Daily Winter Weather Report

Date: Monday - 07 January 2013

Station Pres Temp Max Temp Min Temp New Snow Depth Sky Present Conditions
Bechler 4.0 4.0 -2.0 0   OC N @ 2 mph
Canyon 1.4 9.0 1.4 0 26 OC  
East Entrance 24.2 27.4 24.0 0   OC  
Lake -0.9 6.1 -0.9 .03   OC Calm
Madison 0.1 2.9 -2.2     OC  
Mammoth 21.3 27.4 19.3 0 6.77 OC S @ 6 - 9 mph
NE Entrance 16.0 23.5 16.0 .10 13 OC  
Old Faithful 11.8 16.5 5.6 0 7.87 OC ESE @ 4 - 5 mph
Soda Butte 7.1 11.2 5.3 0 2.40 OC  
South Entrance -0.5 1.3 -6.2 .01 31 OC  
Sylvan Lake 15.6 18.1 11.3 .10 35 OC  
Sylvan Road 22.1 25.0 21.9 0 21 OC  
Thorofare 16.0 19.0 16.0 0   OC ENE @ 6 - 13 mph
Thumb Divide 11.1 11.8 4.5 .20 33 OC  
Tower 4.2 10.4 2.7 .01 7.18 OC E @ 1 mph
West Entrance 1.8 4.3 1.8 0 18 OC  
T=Trace/ BC=Broken Clouds/ C=Clear/ OC=Overcast/ SC=Scattered Clouds
All Temperatures are in °F ~ All Snow Depths are in Inches

Back to Index




* * * Road Conditions * * *
Road Section Status Conditions Public Access / Info
Gardiner to Mammoth YR   STR
Mammoth to Tower YR   STR
Tower to NE Entrance YR   STR
Beartooth Highway CLOSED * CLOSED * CLOSED *
Canyon to Lake Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Firehole Canyon Drive Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Grant to South Entrance Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Junction to Chief Joseph Hwy CLOSED * CLOSED * CLOSED *
Lake to East Entrance Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Lake to West Thumb Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Madison to Old Faithful Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Madison to West Yellowstone Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Mammoth to Norris Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Norris to Canyon Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Norris to Madison Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Old Faithful to Grant Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Tower to Canyon CLOSED * CLOSED * CLOSED *

YR=Year Round / NR=No Restrictions / STA=Snow Tires Advised / STR=Snow Tires Required

* NOTE: CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.

# Poor road conditions - bare spots and melting snow - Restricted to Snowcoaches Only.

The park service plowing schedule for roads for the spring season.

******** FOR CURRENT ROAD INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 307-344-2117 ********

Back to Index



SPECIAL INFORMATION

    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.

Back to Index




Yellowstone Seven Day Forecast on January 07, 2013
by the National Weather Service Riverton, WY

Today: Breezy...cloudy. Occasional flurries in the morning...then chance of snow in the afternoon. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent. Highs 17°F to 23°F.

Tonight: Breezy. Snow likely in the evening...then chance of snow after midnight. Areas of blowing snow through the night. Snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60 percent. Lows 10°F to 16°F.

Tuesday: Breezy. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Areas of blowing snow. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Highs 22°F to 28°F.

Tuesday Night: Breezy. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Areas of blowing snow. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Lows 13°F to 19°F.

Wednesday: Breezy. Mostly cloudy. Occasional flurries. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Highs 27°F to 33°F.

Wednesday Night: Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows 13°F to 19°F.

Thursday: Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Highs 21°F to 27°F.

Thursday Night: Colder. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows 3°F to 9°F.

Friday: Colder...cloudy. Chance of snow in the morning...then slight chance of snow in the afternoon. Chance of snow 30 percent. Highs 5°F to 11°F.

Friday Night: Colder. Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Lows -1°F to 7°F.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs 3°F to 9°F.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Lows -5°F to 1°F.

Sunday: Not as cold. Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow in the morning...then chance of snow in the afternoon. Chance of snow 30 percent. Highs 12°F to 18°F.

Snowflake Hazardous Weather Forecast Snowflake Gibbon Falls Forecast Snowflake Mammoth Forecast Snowflake Midway Forecast Snowflake Norris Forecast Snowflake Old Faithful Forecast Snowflake

Back to Index



* * * Snow Depth Totals as reported at SNOTELs * * *
Station Depth (inches) Station Depth (inches)
Black Bear 68 Parker Peak 42
Blackwater 44 Snake River Station 31
Canyon 26 Sylvan Lake 35
Evening Star 46 Sylvan Road 21
Fisher Creek 61 Thumb Divide 33
Grassy Lake 45 Two Ocean Plateau 51
Lewis Lake Divide 56 West Yellowstone 18
Madison Plateau 43 Whiskey Creek 23
Northeast Entrance 13 Wolverine 17

Back to Index




Avalanche Advisory

from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center - January 07, 2013 - this report is by Eric Knoff. This advisory does not apply to operating ski areas.

Mountain Weather

Over the past 24 hours 1 to 2 inches of snow has fallen over much of the forecast area except for the Bridger Range which squeezed out a trace. Currently, temperatures are in the teens Fahrenheit under mostly cloudy skies and winds are blowing 15 to 30 out of West-northwest. Today, temperatures will warm into the mid to upper 20s Fahrenheit and winds will remain out of the west blowing 15 to 30 mph. A stronger storm system is scheduled to arrive this afternoon bringing an increased chance of snow to the mountains. 2 to 4 inches is likely by tomorrow morning with the exception of the Bridger Range which will see 1 to 2 inches.

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion:

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

Today, skiing or riding in avalanche terrain will be like approaching an unfamiliar dog - best bet is to assess the situation before getting up close and personal. Riding in avalanche terrain today will likely be uneventful - yet, there's always the possibility of a surprise bite.

In most cases, when you're surprised by avalanches, it means mistakes were made. Reducing the chance for surprises today will involve a quick but careful assessment of the snowpack. If the area you plan to ride feels slabby, punchy, hollow - or to sum it up 'variable' - you'll want to use extra caution when entering steeper slopes, especially those with high consequences. There may be a rogue wind slab resting over faceted snow, making human triggered avalanches possible (photo). The combination of a wind slab over facets produced a human triggered avalanche in the Hourglass chute north of Bridger Bowl on Thursday (video, video, photo).

If you find a slope where 3 to 5 inches of near surface facets and/or surface hoar is masquerading as powder, then you will likely enjoy a smooth and soft run avalanche free. I found soft riding near Hebgen Lake and in Bacond Rind on Saturday. Yesterday, skiers near Flathead Pass in the northern Bridger Range also found faceted snow on the surface and got ECT's to propagate about 30 cm's off the ground. Because deep weak layers are not widespread and it's been nearly two weeks since the last significant snowfall, triggering an avalanche on weak layers near the ground is unlikely.

* * Changing Conditions * *

Southwest Montana will be in a fairly active weather pattern for the next 4 to 5 days. Although snow totals will be less than a foot, winds are forecasted to increase Tuesday through Thursday. With a widespread and well developed weak layer on the surface it will not take much snow and wind to increase the avalanche hazard (photo, video). If you are heading into the backcountry pay close attention to changing conditions and never be afraid to alter the riding agenda.

Today, small avalanches are possible in isolated areas and the Avalanche Danger is rated 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.


EDUCATION, 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.



Avalanche Danger Scale

Back to Index


Back to the Yellowstone Daily Winter Reports or the Yellowstone Weather Page

Information provided by Yellowstone National Park, National Weather Service and Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center


Yellowstone National Park by Page Makers, LLC © Copyright All Rights Reserved
I n d e x
Accessibility Earthquakes Maps Video Page
Address Email Newspaper Visitor Centers
Adult Programs Entrances Old Faithful Live WebCam Visitor Stats
Amphibians Entrance Fees Pets Volcano Observatory
Animals Fall Closure Phone Numbers Waterfalls
Backcountry Fish Picnic Areas Weather
Bear Management Fishing Fees Ranger Led Activities WebCams
Bear Sightings Fishing Regulations Reptiles Wildflowers
Biking Getting Here Reunions Winter Closing
Boating Hiking Rivers, Creeks & Streams Winter Opening
Books History Roads Winter Weather Reports
Butterflies Junior Ranger Program Schedule Wolf Project
Camping Lakes Search Page Wolf Sightings
Campground Maps Location Spring Opening Wolverine Help
Challenges Lodging Star Talks Yellowstone ~ the Name
Chat Page Lynx Help Trip Planner pdf Young Scientist
Clinics / Medical Mammal List Trip Reports Youth Conservation Corps
Not all who wander are lost by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien © Page Makers, LLC
Yellowstone National Park WebCams
Old Faithful Live All Old Faithful Old Faithful Static Old Faithful VC North Entrance Mt Washburn Mammoth YVO WebCam

Rexburg Idaho WebCams
  Rexburg, Idaho WebCams  

Yellowstone Area Highway WebCams
Alpine Junction Hwy 89 (South) Monida Pass I-15 (North)
Bozeman Pass I-90 (North) Osborne Bridge Hwy 20 (West)
Henry's Lake North Hwy 20 (West) Raynolds Pass MT 87 (North or West)
Henry's Lake South Hwy 20 (West) Teton Pass WY 22 (South)
(North) = Closest Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

State Road Reports
Idaho Utah
Montana Wyoming

Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns
Gardiner, Montana Silver Gate, Montana West Yellowstone, Montana Cooke City, Montana
Livingston, Montana Cody, Wyoming Jackson Hole, Wyoming Yellowstone National Park

Links
The Great Outdoors Net Great Outdoor Recreational Places
Gardiner, Montana World Humanity

Contact Us

by John William Uhler

Back to: Yellowstone Up Close and Personal

Copyright © 1995 - 2014 Page Makers, LLC and Yellowstone Media ~ All Rights Reserved