Lawinenlagebericht

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

Human-triggered avalanches remain possible today. Any new snow equals additional weight and stress on weaker layers of sugary, faceted snow that are buried 1-3 feet across most aspects and elevations. Harder slabs may also be buried and hidden under the newest light snowfall. Assess the snowpack you are riding and avoid steeper slopes that have signs of instability like cracking or collapsing. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Persistent weak layers formed in November are buried in the snowpack across all aspects and elevations. Slab depths above these layers are 1-3 feet. The middle and upper elevations may contain firm cohesive slabs that are now covered by recent light snowfall and may be hard to spot. The lower elevations generally lack firm slab quality, but isolated areas are still possible. The characteristics of these layers vary by aspect. Observations from the last week have seen a consistent trend of more reactivity on east aspects. Areas with higher amounts of new snow or wind slabs will increase the sensitivity of triggering these persistent weak layers. 

    (12/11/2022)

    Natural avalanche of new snow on Mt. Oliver. Shallower areas will likely harbor more instabilities. New snowfall has the potential to avalanche where winded or rapidly loaded in addition to deeper instabilities. 

Avalanche Discussion

Persistent slabs are known as the sleeping dragons of avalanche problems. The most challenging time for assessment as a rider can be right now, on the cusp of the transition from early-season to mid-season snowpacks. The dragons linger in a variable pattern across aspect and elevation, and while some are quietly going to sleep and may not awake for the rest of the season, others remain irritable and will likely test our patience for the rest of the season. The tricky part is this: What is the likelihood that you poke the dragon and trigger an avalanche on a buried weak layer if you are in avalanche terrain? The answer is...it’s possible (and likely on certain aspects in the middle and upper elevations in the Greys River). There are plenty of places where you might trigger a slide and plenty of places where you might not. Avalanche hazard is difficult to communicate in this way. It is the likelihood of an avalanche impacting something of value — for our purposes, that thing is you. Logically as the likelihood of triggering an avalanche decreases, the avalanche danger also decreases. Here's where it gets tricky; while the likelihood of triggering a slide is decreasing, the consequences of getting caught remain the same. 

As you travel through the backcountry, recognize you are facing a low-probability but high-consequence scenario. The best way to manage this uncertainty is to build wide safety margins into your travel decisions. Be aware of the terrain you are traveling in and underneath, and picture the consequences of being caught in a slide in that terrain.

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