West Central Montana Avalanche Center

The area had been alternately loaded and scoured. Subject to N winds most recently and -25ºC temps. Large striated crystals 40cm down is very unusual in my experience, but this is what we found.

Targerting 210113 layer around 70cms deep in snowpack on ENE aspect. PST SF45/100 down 70cms 210113. This layer had multiple natural avalanches on it last Saturday 210206 where windloaded and above 38 degrees.

15cms overnight; 75cms settled from past 5 days. The deep new snow is insulating lowest weak layer (@176cm), so it is hard to trigger this layer of most concern.

NE slope; 8000n Feet; 30cm new snow past 14hrs - Storm came in cold and somewhat calm last night so surface hoar was buried, then storm warmed and is collapsing on buried surfact hoar 30cms down - upper warmer snow is continuing to consolidate. The rest of snowpack is strong, despite persistant weak layer that still exists deeper (>70cms) in snowpack.