Ian Hoyer EBS CONTRIBUTOR
The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center is excited to announce that this year the mountains near Island Park, ID will have daily avalanche forecasts with avalanche Danger Ratings. This is exciting news for Montana visitors and resident backcountry skiers, snowmobilers and winter recreators of all stripes, as Island Park is right on the Idaho-Montana border, less than a half hour drive south of West Yellowstone (around an hour and half south of Big Sky).
Snowmobile, snow bike and backcountry ski use in the Centennial Mountain Range near Island Park area is growing. The need for more avalanche information was driven home in 2018 when there were two avalanche deaths only ten days apart when the GNFAC had issued avalanche warnings for the Lionhead area (only around 15 miles away).
These deaths galvanized the local riding community to reach out for help and the GNFAC began working to bring more avalanche awareness to the area. The following season the GNFAC began issuing avalanche warnings for the Island Park area and added a dedicated page to its website to collect and share observations specific to Island Park.
Expanding into a new forecast region is a big task and developing partnerships has been crucial to its success. GNFAC forecasters are visiting the area regularly to gather snowpack data. Building relationships with local riders and guide services to get more field observation has been a huge help. An Avalanche Alliance grant funded two new remote weather stations (one measuring wind speed and one measuring snow depth). The Fugowee Snowmobile Club has put out seven avalanche beacon checking stations. The Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho State Parks, Idaho State Snowmobile Association, the Anderson Avalanche Project, Klim Technologies and a number of local businesses have also been key supporters of these efforts.
Avalanche forecasts are a collaborative effort between forecasters and the riding public. Whether getting out in Island Park or anywhere across the GNFAC advisory area, you can help improve the forecast by submitting observations at mtavalanche.com. Simply telling us that it snowed more than we are reporting or letting us know that winds are blowing hard and resulting in large drifts is very helpful. You could say, “We rode around all day with good visibility and didn’t see any avalanches,” or, “We were riding and triggered an avalanche.” Your observations, both simple and complex, will help us provide lifesaving information to the community.
Check mtavalanche.com/forecast for the most up-to-date snowpack, weather and avalanche conditions in Island Park (as well as across southwest Montana). Avalanche forecasts are published by 7:30 a.m. each morning during the winter recreation season.
Ian Hoyer is a staff member of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. Learn more at mtavalanche.com.
