Avalanches have been particularly wicked this winter in Montana. Saturday's slide marked the sixth avalanche victim killed in Montana this winter - five snowmobile riders and one winter mountaineer. The climber was swept to his death while climbing in the Mission Mountain WIlderness. Four snowmobile riders died near Park City and another died in the Bitterroot. The hotline, which was updated on Friday morning, noted that fresh snow had fallen in the Swan Mountains this week.
Fresh snow can be unstable, until it settles.