Advisory Archive
Today will be a good one to call in sick to work. Since yesterday the Bridger Range and northern Madison Range received 8-9 inches of snow. The southern Madison Range and the mountains around Cooke City and West Yellowstone received 6 inches of snow, and the northern Gallatin Range received 2 inches. This morning temperatures were in the high teens and low 20s F, and winds were blowing 15-30 mph from the W with a few gusts reaching 40 mph. Heavy snowfall has ended, but light snow will continue sporadically through today and tonight with an additional 1-2 inches falling by tomorrow morning. Temperatures will reach the mid 30s F and winds will blow 20-25 mph from the W and NW.
This morning at 4 a.m. temperatures were in the high teens and low 20s F, and ridgetop winds were blowing 10-20 mph from the S and SW. Today will begin with clear skies, but clouds will start moving over the area after midday with snowfall occurring this evening. High temperatures will be near 30 degrees F with S and SW winds continuing to blow 10-20 mph but increasing late this afternoon. By tomorrow morning 2-4 inches of snow will accumulate in the southern half of the advisory area while 1-3 inches will accumulate in the northern half.
Yesterday morning a trace to one inch of snow fell at the tail end of the storm. Ridgetop winds were westerly at 15 mph with mountain temperatures reaching the upper 20s. A high pressure ridge is bringing sunny, warm, stable weather today. West to southwest winds will be light at 10-15 mph with temperatures climbing to near 50F. Skies will become partly cloudy late tonight with another chance of snow late Thursday.
WET SNOW AVALANCHE DANGER
Yesterday's afternoon sun turned the snow into mashed potatoes on south aspects. Today's sun and spring temperatures will go a big step further and create wet slides on all but the coolest, most north facing slopes. I expect to see wet point release avalanches near cliffs and rock outcroppings which could trigger avalanches running on deeper layers. The wet snow avalanche danger will increase with the rising sun and quickly become CONSIDERABLE by early afternoon on all sun exposed slopes.
Snowfall in the last 24 hours measured 7-9 inches in the Bridger and northern Gallatin Ranges, three to four inches in the northern Madison Range and Cooke City area, and only an inch elsewhere. Mountain temperatures are currently in the mid teens with northwest winds blowing 15-20 mph. Snow showers will drop another inch in the northern mountains before tapering off later this morning. Skies will become partly cloudy but fully clear tonight as winds remain moderate from the west-northwest.
The ridge of high pressure that brought us sunny skies yesterday has broken down as a moist pacific storm system pushes in from the west. This approaching storm has produced gusty ridgetop winds that are blowing 20-30 mph out of the W-NW. Currently, light snow has started to fall in the Bridger Range totaling close to an inch while the other ranges of our advisory are remain dry. Presently, mountain temperatures are in the mid to upper twenties, but will rise into the mid thirties by this afternoon. These mild temperatures will prevent snow from accumulating in the valley, but the mountains should see 3-5 inches by tomorrow morning. Winds will start to subside by this afternoon as the frontal passage moves past our area.
A ridge of high pressure has stalled over southwest Montana producing clear skies and spring like conditions. Currently mountain temperatures are in the upper teens to low twenties and winds are blowing out of the west at 10-20 mph. Today, skies will remain mostly clear and mountain temperatures will rise into the mid to upper forties by this afternoon. Winds will continue to blow out of the west at 10-15 mph.
Happy spring equinox. In the past 24 hours a moist northerly flow has brought an additional 2-3 inches of snow to the Bridger Range, bringing the storm total to 8-10 inches. All other ranges in our advisory area picked up an additional trace to one inch throughout the day yesterday. As the storm moved out, skies cleared and temperatures dropped to some of the lowest readings we have seen in the past few weeks. Currently mountain temperatures are in the single digits to low teens, but will warm into the high 30's F to low 40's F as the day progresses. Winds have been light out of the W at 5-15 mph and will remain calm throughout the day. A ridge of high pressure will build over southwest Montana bringing us sunny skies and warm temps through today and tomorrow.
Overnight the Bridger Range received 7-10 inches of snow. Big Sky received 1-2 inches while all other areas either received a trace of new snow or remained dry. Temperatures this morning were in the mid to low teens F. Winds were blowing 10-20 mph from the NW except in the Bridger Range where mid mountain winds began blowing 20-30 mph just as snowfall ended. No more snow should fall and skies should be mostly cloudy today with high temperatures near 20 degrees F. Winds should eventually calm in the Bridger Range, and over most of the area northerly ridgetop winds will blow 10-15 mph.
This morning at 4 a.m. temperatures had cooled to the mid 20s F with light winds blowing 5-10 mph from all directions. Today will see mostly cloudy skies and high temperatures in the mid 20s as north winds blowing 10-15 mph bring cold air into the area. Snowfall should begin tonight with 3-4 inches accumulating in the Bridger Range. Most other areas should get 2-3 inches except the mountains near West Yellowstone which may only get a trace to one inch of snow.
By March standards, yesterday was hot with temperatures reaching the high 40s to 50 in the mountains. Last night they only dropped to the low thirties. Yesterday, westerly winds were light at 5-10 mph, but picked up to 10-20 mph last night. Today clouds will increase from partly cloudy this morning to mostly cloudy tonight. Mountain temperatures will warm into the mid 40s and winds will shift to the northwest. I do not expect any snowfall by tomorrow morning, but hopefully later Thursday we'll see some flurries.