Lawinenlagebericht

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Thu
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 4 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Snowfall and wind will continue to craft sensitive slabs in a wide range of locations, particularly in the upper elevations. New snow may also mask older wind slabs that remain sensitive to triggering. Look for evidence of wind such as drifts, stiffened surfaces, or cornices. Though unlikely, these spots also hold a higher potential for triggering a larger avalanche breaking deeper in the snowpack. Safer conditions can be found on wind-sheltered slopes.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–2

    Continued snowfall will produce sensitive wind slabs at upper elevations.  If you find yourself in wind-loaded terrain, you're also in an area where you are most likely to awaken any deeper, weak snow issues. Steep slopes where recent drifts sit atop a shallower snowpack are where you're most likely to get into trouble.

    Additionally, some avalanches (though smaller in size) may occur within the past week's snow due to consistent snowfall paired with changing temperatures. These will likely be 8-12+ inches in depth.

    Yesterday, Alex and I observed several old (and deep) avalanche crowns at Togwotee Pass around Angle Mountain and Breccia Peak. Winds above 8'000 feet were crafting fresh slabs, and plenty of new snow was available for transport. If you're traveling through thicker snow or see cracks around your feet, skis, or machine, you've found a wind slab. Wind-affected areas can be identified by pillowed drifts or dunes, cornices along ridge crests or running down sub-ridges, and/or stiffened snow surfaces. These stiffened snow surfaces may also be buried beneath lighter, fresh snowfall. 

    (1/3/2023)

    Large natural avalanche above the Martini Chutes on Rendezvous Peak ~10,000 feet on a southerly aspect.

Avalanche Discussion

Mod, Mod, & More Mod

When dealing with avalanche hazards and problems, it is important to understand the context of thinking in probabilities. With consistent moderate ratings, it is easy to get message fatigue and not think about how the snow is still constantly changing. When snowfall is continual and gradual, the snowpack may not really show its cards. This puts us, as backcountry users, in a particularly low-feedback scenario. Avalanches occur and get covered up by more snowfall, are blown in by the wind, or happen overnight, and it's important to understand that we see such a small spectrum of what happens in a range on a given day or storm cycle. Even with so many user observations--which are helpful to the community and we are incredibly grateful for--many have a bias toward frequented locations and may be less representative of deeper or less visited areas. Moderate, by definition, means human-triggered avalanches are possible. I find it helpful to think of this possibility in a different context. If I offered to give you a ride in my car on an icy pass but mentioned that I wasn't feeling 100% and it was possible that I may drive off the road or into another car, how would you feel? Would you feel comfortable just hopping in and trusting I would be fine? Or would that possibility raise a few questions and require you to assess me differently? [Side note-I'm actually a good driver]. 

Our goal is to provide you with more nuance to conditions that may be oversimplified by a given avalanche problem and danger rating. The mere presence of buried persistent weak layers, even when deemed unreactive and not widespread, adds an element of complexity and unpredictability to snowpack assessment. With our current conditions, the places where you could trigger an avalanche on a persistent layer are becoming more and more isolated. But it's definitely not a free-for-all; if you go looking for trouble, you may find it.

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