Lawinenlagebericht

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 3 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Obvious signs of instability may be decreasing, but it remains easy to trigger a large avalanche on many steep slopes today. Natural and human-triggered avalanches are continuing to occur. You can find safer riding on gentler slopes not connected to steep slopes. Carefully consider the areas you think of as safe and give steep terrain a wider margin than usual. Avalanches can be triggered from far away, below, or next to a slope.

 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    2–3

    Riders can trigger large hard slab avalanches failing on very weak snow formed in December. You can find this avalanche problem on many slopes, and knowing the trend in instability in the terrain you frequent and being patient with this avalanche problem will be essential. Avalanches could break 2 to 4 feet deep in the middle and upper elevations and 1 to 2 feet deep below 7,500 feet. These avalanches continue to be triggered on all aspects (shaded and sunny) at all elevations. Slabs could be triggered from a distance by the first rider or even wait until the last person in your group is riding the slope to release. If you are uncertain about the terrain around you, sticking to a lower-angle option with little consequence is the best way to mitigate this problem. Typical safe zones should be reconsidered when traveling below steep terrain. Be extra cautious of low elevation slopes as temperatures warm today, as warmth has been keeping any slabs of new snow sensitive. Conditions will likely improve with time, but slowly.

    This is a great time to stick a shovel in the snow and look at the snowpack you ride in. This can be a tool to help you decide where to ride and where not to ride. The weak snow is easy to find, especially at low and middle elevations. If you're finding it with a shovel or trenching your sled track into it, slopes are best avoided if they're steep.  

     

    (1/20/2024)

    This avalanche was triggered near Palmer Creek on 1/20, resulting in a full burial. Luckily, the party was able to perform a successful rescue. Continue to give steep slopes a wide margin while snow remains sensitive. The current snowpack problem requires your patience, and the trend to more stability will occur slowly.  

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    2–3.5

    Weak snow formed during a dry period in November persists at the base of the snowpack. This layer is now buried about 5 to 6 feet deep in the Salt River, Snake River, and western portions of the Wyoming Range. It is at its weakest on the north half of the compass. Recent loading and warm temperatures are keeping this weak layer on the radar. These very large avalanches are most likely to occur when an avalanche triggered in the most recent snow steps down to weak old snow. Any avalanche involving the entire snowpack will be destructive and likely unsurvivable. 

    Areas in the eastern Wyoming Range, Hoback Canyon, and Gros Ventre Mountains lacked significant snowfall prior to the storm cycle beginning January 4th. In these locations, the new snow has fallen on a snowpack that was primarily made up of weak, sugary snow. Deep slab events are not likely in these locations due to the shallower snowpack.

    (1/16/2024)

    This avalanche failed much larger than it did a few weeks ago. The crown depth indicates that it involved the deeper weak layers from November. 

Avalanche Discussion

The current snowpack continues to be kept on edge in many areas across this zone, and the best tool to handle it is by using your knowledge and continuing to add to your mental toolbox. Yesterday in the Hoback, I was able to find safe, fun riding on an east-facing slope where the snowpack looked better, and the terrain was gentler and open. Across the way on a west-facing slope at the same elevation, I couldn't approach anything steep without experiencing large collapses. A widespread, well-connected, and very weak layer of snow that formed during a month-long dry period in December has been overloaded by nearly 7 feet of snow since January 4th, and recent warm temperatures have continued to keep it on edge. Natural and human-triggered avalanches continue to be reported daily, and dangerous avalanche conditions exist. These instabilities will take time to heal, and with this layer, the current setup warrants that you are continually assessing the terrain around you and the snowpack in that terrain.  The shallower the snowpack, the more likely you are to experience signs of instability, and the deeper the snowpack, the less likely you are to see these obvious warning signs.  Even in areas with a deeper snowpack and perhaps less obvious signs of instability, human-triggered avalanches remain likely, and you are less likely to be warned by the snowpack beforehand. If you choose to enter the mountains without any additional assessment each day, you choose to accept a very wide range of outcomes. All danger is not equal; no two seasons are the same, and the current snowpack will require continual reassessment, careful terrain selection, and patience to play in the mountains with a wide enough margin.   

Abgedeckte Regionen