Lawinenlagebericht

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Thu
Hochgebirge
1 · Gering
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
Keine Stufe
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 3 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Prolonged dry weather has caused a decrease in the likelihood of avalanches. Take advantage of conditions, but factor in low coverage and remember vigilance is always necessary in avalanche terrain. A dose of bad luck could trigger a slide 1-3 feet deep, particularly on shady slopes.  

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow is buried 1-3 feet deep on most shady middle and upper-elevation slopes. On 12/30, a snowmobile-triggered avalanche was reported on a north aspect at 9,800 feet near Gunsight Pass in the Wyoming Range.  This avalanche failed in a wind-loaded area on weak snow 3 feet beneath the surface, and a similar problem lingers at Togwotee. Unstable slopes are fewer and farther between; your best bet is to avoid any stiff slabs of snow or areas where the snow depth visibly varies greatly, particularly on the northern half of the compass.  

    Remember only to expose one person at a time, use islands of safety, and watch your partners when entering avalanche terrain. The reporting party of this incident followed safe travel practices, which prevented injury and burial. 

    (12/30/2023)

    Snowmobile triggered avalanche on a north aspect at 9800'. Triggered by rider topping out on the slope. No one was caught or carried in this avalanche.

    Photo: Shane Copeland

Avalanche Discussion

A Tom Robbins quote comes to mind: "Don't confuse symmetry with balance." 

Now is a good time to adventure in the mountains and take advantage of unusually safe mid-winter avalanche conditions. Bear in mind that these conditions are the product of dry weather alone and not an improving or stabilizing snowpack for the long term. Our habits follow us for the season. Things will become more dangerous when the storm track returns, likely by this weekend.  In the meantime, have fun and keep it tight!

SOME GOOD

  • No obvious signs of instability. If you experience cracking or collapsing—do not pass GO! But it's been several weeks since reports of these signs in avalanche terrain have come in. Given the current setup, the recent triggered slide in the Greys Zone illustrates the possibility of encountering instability.  
  • Time without loading. Our last significant loading event was well over a week ago. Less snow usually equals fewer avalanches. 
  • Periods of temps near freezing. And not because they are healing anything, but rather because it is preferable to see if a weak layer can withstand a few days of warmer temps.  

SOME BAD

  • No physical signs of change in a thick weak layer. The best way to heal a weak layer is to compact it beneath a heavy snow slab. But even where 12/1 has been buried by a heftier slab, the physical properties of this weak layer have looked the same, remaining relatively thick and dry and propagating cleanly in tests.
  •  No improving snowpack test scores. Pits are great at telling us when things are unstable but not so good at predicting overall stability.  This category remains inconclusive and brings me pause (and should bring you pause, too). 

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