Lawinenlagebericht

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
Keine Stufe
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 8 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Triggering an avalanche between 1-3 feet deep will be possible in very steep terrain. Clearing skies and fresh snow may be a tempting combination to lure riders and skiers into steep terrain. The snowpack needs time to adjust to recent storms. Keep terrain choices simple by avoiding very steep terrain and large open slopes today.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    Recent snow over the last week has left enough snow sitting on the surface to be redistributed into wind slabs up to 1 foot thick in the upper elevations. While not a widespread problem, it will be possible to find wind slabs that will be sensitive to the weight of a person in very steep wind loaded slopes today.

    (1/4/2026)

    Textbook example of cracking indicating a fresh wind slab. This is an obvious sign of unstable snow and warrants conservative terrain choices.

    Photo: Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    Weak snow that formed in November is buried 2-5 feet below the surface in most shady terrain above 8,000’. While the likelihood of triggering an avalanche involving these layers is on the low end of the scale today, it is not out of the question. Shallow, rocky, and wind affected slopes are where riders have the greatest chance of triggering. Large triggers such as groups gathering in close proximity also increase the likelihood of impacting buried weak layers. Traveling one at a time and avoiding suspect terrain is the best way to avoid this problem for the time being.

    A rider had a very close call December 31, 2025. This avalanche illustrates the difficulty in pinpointing where you can trigger deeper weak layers. Note that this seems to be a shallow area, making it easier to trigger a weak layer.

Avalanche Discussion

Recent snow over the past week is in the 18-24” range. This snow has gradually accumulated and been moved around by light to moderate winds on Togwotee. This has helped to build slabs at a rate that allows for weak layers below to adjust to the new load. While this is an encouraging progression, there remain some question marks in terms of stability. Observers have noted limited wind slab formation, but terrain in the highest elevations has likely not been visited or tested. If venturing into upper elevation starting zones, be on the lookout for recent wind loading and dial back terrain choices if encountering recent avalanches, shooting cracks or collapsing/whoomphing.

Deeper instabilities near the base of the snowpack remain a lingering threat. This is a low likelihood high consequence combination. Avoiding large open slopes, especially with terrain traps below, will aid in reducing risk today.   

Please consider submitting an observation here if you are out riding/skiing today. Observations can be as simple as a photo and help us produce a better forecast. Thank you!

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