GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Fri Apr 11, 2025
This is Ian Hoyer with the avalanche forecast on Friday, April 11th, at 7:00 a.m. sponsored by Knoff Group Real Estate and the Upper Yellowstone Snowmobile Club. This forecast does not apply to operating ski areas.
Temperatures did not drop below freezing last night. Early this morning, they are in the high 30s and low 40s F. There has not been any measurable rain or snow. Winds are out of the south and west at 10-25 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph.
High temperatures today will be in the 40s and 50s F. Skies will start off mostly sunny this morning, with increasing clouds around Bozeman and Big Sky this afternoon. Winds will remain moderate out of the south and west.
Rain and snow showers will start overnight. Temperatures will be cooler this weekend and precipitation will continue, on and off, but accumulations are looking modest at this point.
All Regions
With temperatures already above freezing this morning, sunny skies, and temperatures rising into the 50s F today, Wet Loose avalanches are the primary avalanche concern. With clear skies overnight, some areas will likely have thin crusts at the surface, but those will break down quickly in today’s intense mid-April sun. Wet Loose avalanches will mostly be confined to the snow that fell on Tuesday, sliding on the firm crusts beneath. Don’t discount the power of these relatively small slides - even a slide a few inches deep can entrain a lot of snow and take you for quite an unpleasant ride. Wet loose avalanches will either start at your feet or could come down from above you from near exposed rocks on steep, sunny slopes. Plan to move off steep, sunny slopes as the day heats up and there are more than a couple inches of wet snow at the surface.
Wind Slab avalanches are still possible on shady, high elevation slopes with colder, drier snow. On Wednesday, there were natural and skier triggered wind slabs in the Bridgers and near Big Sky (observation, observation). Another 48 hours of warm temperatures have likely glued most of these slabs on, but be on the lookout for the slopes where they haven’t. Cracks shooting out in front of your skis or snowmobile are bullseye information that drifts remain unstable. Consider keeping things simple by just steering around wind drifts.
After a night with no freeze, Cornices breaking off are another concern. Minimize time spent below them and stay far back from the edge while traveling along ridgelines.
The avalanche danger is MODERATE throughout the forecast area.
If you encounter an error with our observation submission platform, please email your observations to mtavalanche@gmail.com or send a message to @mtavalanche on Instagram or Facebook.
Hyalite Road Closure
The Hyalite Canyon Road is closed to ALL MOTORIZED VEHICLES until May 16. This is a regular annual road closure to reduce road damage during the spring thaw. Bicycle and foot traffic are allowed. Contact the Bozeman FS Ranger District for more info.
For years, the avalanche community has worked to understand and address the human factors that influence decision-making in the backcountry. With decades of research as their foundation, Sara Boilen and Ian McCammon are developing an open-source tool to help individuals mitigate risk in avalanche terrain. The project's first stage involves interviewing backcountry recreationalists who have been traveling in avalanche terrain for at least one season. All participants will be entered to win amazing raffle prizes (from Jones Snowboards, BCA, and more!). If you’re curious about being involved, please take 1-2 minutes to fill out their basic initial survey!