October – January 1st 2022/2023 Summary
What an exciting end to 2022 and a promising start to 2023. To understand the state of our snowpack, it is necessary to start at the beginning… Minimal snow fell
Seasonal Snowpack Update Chapter 2
We have officially entered spring, and warming temperatures are melting the snow and altering the snowpack. I’ve written this quick update of snowpack history and outlook to give you some
An Extended Column Test (ECT) | Refresher
If I am going to do just one test, I do an extended column test (ECT). It gives me some information on the strength of a weak layer, but
Snowpack Update: 03-22-2020
This month’s snowpack update comes as we transition from winter to spring. As of March 22, the Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) totals in west central Montana are just above average
Snowpack Update
Snowpack Discussion The snowpack continues to evolve in West Central Montana. In late January, our primary avalanche concern was persistent slab avalanches failing on facets at the bottom of the
01-24-20 Snowpack Update
Avalanche conditions from January 11th until January 24th have been at considerable danger, trending towards moderate danger. We are currently most concerned with persistent weak layers, failing near the ground on depth hoar and facets. The second
Snowpack Upadate 01/10/2020
1-10-20 Snowpack Update After the winter solstice, we got a small snowstorm that deposited a few inches of snow and a crust layer on the top of the snowpack. Before
Snowpack Summery 12/24/2019
Snowpack Summary 24/12/2019 What to say about this season’s snowpack? It’s the focus of many conversations I’m having recently, mostly about when we are going to get one. From a
BEERS WITH YOUR AVALANCHE FORECASTER
WCMAC forecasters are in the field analyzing how recent storm snow is gaining strength, tracking where the wind is drifting snow and keeping a close eye on buried persistent weak layers.
