Avalanche warning in effect for Island Park and surrounding areas
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ISLAND PARK – An avalanche warning is in effect for Gallatin National Forest and surrounding areas for the fourth day in a row.
Eric Thomas with Fremont County Search and Rescue says the likelihood of a natural or human-caused avalanche is very high and he is urging you to avoid the slopes or any recreational offroading.
“This the fourth day that Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center has reported a HIGH avalanche danger in the Centennial Mountain Range,” Thomas wrote on Facebook. “Two and a half of those days US 20 was closed and, therefore, lowered the number of recreational riders in our area. With the road open and the sun shining (Sunday), if people don’t heed this warning, we are going to have an avalanche burial this weekend.”
The biggest areas of concern include the southern Gallatin and southern Madison mountains, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone, the Centennial Range, and the mountains around Cooke City.
Over the past 24 hours, Thomas says the mountains picked up four to seven inches of new snow. As of 5 a.m. Sunday, the snow has tapered off and skies are beginning to clear. But current temperatures are in the single digits and winds are blowing 15-35 mph.
“The snowpack in these areas is heavily loaded and remains under a significant amount of stress. Over the past week, the mountains near Cooke City, West Yellowstone, including the Sothern Madison and Gallatin Ranges, have received four to six feet of snow totaling four to seven inches of SWE. This is an insane amount of snow and water weight,” says Thomas. “Under these conditions, it’s very easy to get surprised.”
Skies remain partly to mostly cloudy Sunday and temperatures are now in the teens. The National Weather Service indicates winds will continue to blow 15-30 mph. The mountains could see one to two inches of snow Sunday night, but snowfall appears to be letting up for the next few days.
“It’s imperative that all backcountry travelers stay off and out from underneath all steep slopes. This includes small terrain features such as road cuts, rollovers, and creek bottoms,” says Thomas.
Visit the Montana Avalanche website for the latest updates. For current conditions in your community, visit the weather section of our website.
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