The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Bear River Range through late tonight, with up to about a foot of new snow possible on favored upper elevation slopes and sustained west southwest winds. About 17" of new snow fell at the 8400' TGLU1 Friday night, and snow is flying again this morning in the mountains. Overnight, southwest winds picked again with hourly average wind speeds of 34 mph and gusts close to 60 mph at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station. Plenty of new snow and significant wind drifting has created heightened avalanche conditions on many steep upper and mid-elevation slopes, and people could trigger avalanches of wind drifted new snow. Continued drifting from west winds today could cause dangerous conditions to develop in some upper elevation terrain, and people will be more likely to trigger dangerous wind slab avalanches.

Paige looks at shallow pre-storm snow conditions in the Central Bear River Range on 11-13-2020

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There is not yet enough snow to cause much risk of avalanches on most slopes now, but shallow, early season snow conditions can still be quite dangerous. Recently, shallow snow conditions are to blame for the tragic death of a Bozman woman who died while skiing a steep chute in the Montana backcountry (info here). Also, for that of a British Columbia snowboarder who was killed by head trauma in a “freak backcountry accident” while skiing on his split board in relatively flat, rolling terrain. He was found with his helmet off his head and on his backpack (info here).