Articles

Since 1997 forty one snowmobilers have died in avalanches in Montana, the most of any state in the nation.  Twenty of these fatalities occurred in the Gallatin National Forest of southwest Montana, and thirteen occurred during HIGH avalanche danger.  

Slope angle should be one of the first things that comes to mind when traveling in the backcountry. It is a primary factor in every avalanche.  Avalanches happen when four ingredients are present:  a slab, a weak layer, a trigger and a slope angle steep enough to slide, generally between 25-45 degrees.  Not all slopes are steep enough to avalanche and some are too steep to regularly form slabs.  Recognizing what slopes are safe to ride and what slopes are prone to avalanching is an important part of making safe backcountry decisions. 

The newest piece of avalanche safety gear to hit the market in the U.S. is the avalanche airbag. These backpacks have a canister of compressed gas that immediately inflates a large balloon when the emergency handle is pulled.

Statements of “warming” triggered dry snow avalanches have become common in the last few years. The public mentions it frequently and it is increasingly referred to in avalanche advisories and classes. The evidence presented includes increased creep rates, wild swings in net solar radiation and avalanche activity occurring naturally and with human triggers due to warming temperatures. These statements occur with certainty and regularity but with scant data.

Countless individual ice crystals make up a snowpack. From the moment flakes fall from the sky to the spring melt, snow never stops changing. This change is known as snow metamorphism.

Imagine this terrifying scenario:  You are at the top of a slope that just avalanched and buried three of your friends. Only you can save them.  Their survival is up to you alone and the odds are very low because time is not on your side. A person has an 80% chance of surviving if dug up in 10 minutes. This rapidly falls to 20% at 30 minutes. Can you get all three to the surface in 15 minutes? 

Mountain riding on snowmobiles has exploded in popularity over the past 15 years. Every winter more riders hit the backcountry in pursuit of steep faces and untracked powder. This type of riding increases the inherent risk of being caught in an avalanche. Over the past decade, 41 snowmobilers have died in avalanches in Montana - more than any other state in the nation. 

The week of March 19 was a bad one for Central Asia. Heavy snow followed by a downpour of rain introduced their most widespread avalanche cycle in memory. Tajikistan, northern Pakistan and northern Afghanistan had avalanches hit roads and villages, many in the dead of night. 

We just wrapped up our 22^nd season of avalanche forecasting with 138 advisories.  It was a busy, challenging winter and Mark Staples, Eric Knoff and I want to thank everyone for their support.  

By mid-January over 2,400 people attended one of our 35 avalanche classes. Grade school and graduate students, skiers and snowmobilers, search and rescue groups, ski patrols and businesses attended classes, all there for the same thing—to learn about avalanches. Regardless of the user group, during the Q&A sessions people asked similar questions.  Here’s an attempt to answer the most common ones.