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

Daily Winter Weather Report

Date: Tuesday - 12 March 2013

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


Station Pres Temp Max Temp Min Temp New Snow Depth Sky Present Conditions
Bechler 5.0 13.0 5.0 .01   OC Gust NNW @ 2 mph
Canyon -0.8 8.6 -0.8 0 45 OC  
East Entrance 15.1 20.8 13.8 .02 23 OC  
Lake -2.0 3.9 -2.0 .04 39 OC Calm
Madison 8.0 12.8 3.8     OC  
Mammoth 14.4 23.6 14.4 .01 6 OC S @ 5 - 7 mph
NE Entrance 5.4 14.7 5.4 0 26 OC  
Old Faithful 10.1 11.6 2.0 0 27 OC ESE @ 2 - 3 mph
Soda Butte -2.3 7.6 -2.5 .08   OC  
South Entrance 8.7 13.2 7.2 .01 43 OC  
Sylvan Lake 4.6 4.6 -1.5 0 52 OC  
Sylvan Road 11.5 11.5 4.1 0 32 OC  
Thorofare 16.0 16.0 15.0 0   OC NE @ 1 - 7 mph
Thumb Divide 8.4 10.9 3.4 0 48 OC  
Tower 5.9 15.7 5.8 0   OC S @ 3 - 4 mph
West Entrance 4.8 11.8 4.8 0 35 OC  
BC=Broken Clouds / C=Clear / OC= Overcast/ SC=Scattered Clouds
All Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) ~ All Snow Depths are in Inches

* * Live Weather via All Yellowstone WebCams * *

Back to Index




* * * Road Conditions * * *
Road Section Status Conditions Public Access / Info
Gardiner, MT to Mammoth Open * Good NR - Not Maintained from 4:30 PM to 6:30 AM
Mammoth to Tower ø Open * ø Snow Packed/Icy STR - Not Maintained from 4:30 PM to 6:30 AM
Tower to NE Entrance ø Open * ø Snow Packed/Icy STR - Not Maintained from 4:30 PM to 6:30 AM
Beartooth Highway CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED
Canyon to Lake Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Canyon to Tower CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED ♦    (over Dunraven Pass)
Grant to South Entrance Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles
Junction to Chief Joseph Hwy CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED
Lake to East Entrance CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED
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 CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED
Norris to Canyon CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED
Norris to Madison CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED
Old Faithful to Grant Open   Rubber tracked oversnow concession vehicles

* = Open year-round to wheeled vehicle travel.
NR=No Restrictions / STA=Snow Tires Advised / STR=Snow Tires Required

♦ =  CLOSED FOR THE WINTER SEASON

ø =  POOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS

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

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


¤ ¤ - Please Note - ¤ ¤
There is NO wheeled vehicle travel East of Cooke City, Montana during the winter. This road (U.S. Highway 212), is Closed to Wheeled Vehicle Travel to the East as it is NOT plowed or maintained until late spring. In order to exit Silver Gate, Montana, or Cooke City, Montana, and Yellowstone, you must travel West back through Yellowstone to the North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana to exit the park and these towns.

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. Also, see the Avalanche Advisory posted below.

Back to Index




Yellowstone Seven Day Forecast on March 12, 2013
by the National Weather Service Riverton, Wyoming

Today: Breezy...cloudy. Isolated snow showers early in the morning...then scattered snow showers in the late morning and afternoon. Scattered rain showers in the afternoon. Highs 30 to 36. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers. Lows 22 to 28. Southwest winds around 15 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Isolated snow showers in the morning. Highs 35 to 41. Southwest winds around 15 mph. Chance of snow 20 percent.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 24 to 30. Southwest winds around 15 mph.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs 40 to 46.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 25 to 31.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers in the morning...then slight chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs 40 to 46. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers and slight chance of rain showers in the evening...then chance of snow showers after midnight. Lows 21 to 27. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers in the morning... Then chance of rain showers and snow showers in the afternoon. Highs 35 to 41. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Lows 16 to 22.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow showers in the morning... Then chance of snow showers and rain showers in the afternoon. Highs 31 to 37. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

Sunday Night: Colder. Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Lows 8 to 14.

Monday: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers in the morning...then chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs 28 to 34. Chance of snow 30 percent.

All Temperatures (Highs and Lows) are in degrees Fahrenheit (°F). All Sub Zero Temperatures are Highlighted.

Snowflake Hazardous Weather Forecast Snowflake Yellowstone & Grand Teton Forecasts 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 98 Parker Peak 61
Blackwater 62 South Entrance 43
Canyon 45 Sylvan Lake 52
Evening Star 71 Sylvan Road 32
Fisher Creek 83 Thumb Divide 48
Grassy Lake 75 Two Ocean Plateau 71
Lewis Lake Divide 76 West Yellowstone 35
Madison Plateau 65 Whiskey Creek 45
Northeast Entrance 26 Wolverine 31

Back to Index




Avalanche Advisory

from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center - March 12, 2013 - this report is by Doug Chabot. This advisory Does Not Apply to operating ski areas.

Mountain Weather

This morning there is no new snow to report. Mountain temperatures are in the low teens Fahrenheit under partly cloudy skies. West winds have decreased from 20 to 40 mph to 15 to 20 mph. Clouds will build throughout the day as temperatures rise into the upper 20s Fahrenheit and winds remain the same. The southern mountains may get a few flurries later today, but accumulations should be less than an inch.

Snowpack and Avalanche Discussion:

Bridger, Gallatin, and Madison Ranges, Lionhead Area near West Yellowstone, and Cooke City:

Yesterday's strong winds scoured high elevation terrain with a few slopes getting loaded and forming stubborn wind drifts. Mark found shallow wind slabs outside Cooke City this weekend (photo) and kicked off a small 8 inch pocket yesterday. I toured north of Bridger Bowl into the Hourglass Chute on Sunday and found stable conditions, but I also avoided the smooth wind-whale of drifted snow on the northern entrance. That same day in the Bridger Range, a skier in Naya Nuki Bowl was caught in a small avalanche when he triggered a wind-loaded pocket under some cliffs (photo). Although small, these types of slides can be deadly if they push you into terrain traps.

A persistent weak layer of facets buried 2 to 3 feet deep (video) is slowly getting stronger and becoming harder to fracture in our stability tests. We still need to keep an eye on it, especially if the snowpack is thin and sugary. Riders in Taylor Fork backed off a steep slope on Sunday when they noticed their tracks were chewing through sugary, faceted snow at the ground. These thinner, weaker spots are where avalanches can be triggered.

Overall the stability is good, but not perfect. For today, the Avalanche Danger is rated MODERATE on all wind-loaded slopes. On slopes lacking a wind-load, the Avalanche Danger is MODERATE if it is steeper than 35 degrees and the Avalanche Danger is LOW on less steep terrain.

The next advisory tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM. 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), (snowpits), or (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