Lawinenlagebericht

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
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

Identify wind loaded slopes where riders could trigger avalanches on steep middle to upper elevation terrain. Look for signs of unstable snow including recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and large drifts. Although the likelihood is decreasing, riders have the potential to trigger avalanches deeper in the snowpack on very steep slopes. Travel one at a time and avoid terrain traps over steep slopes. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Varied wind direction over the last 72 hours redistributed recent snow into soft slabs around a foot deep. These slabs will be more stubborn today than yesterday, but still possible. Wind slabs will be most obvious in exposed terrain above treeline. Look for wind loaded snow in abnormal locations due to the northwest wind direction (check  this great observation from Angle Mountain). These could be off leeward ridgelines or cross-loaded below cliffs and between gullies. 

    Watch for recent snow on slopes facing the sun to destabilize during the day. This could increase the sensitivity of wind slabs and small wet or dry loose avalanches.

    (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 formed in November is buried 2-5 feet deep beneath hard slabs on mostly shaded aspects above 8,000. The chance of triggering these weak layers is unlikely in many areas. Areas of concern exist where the overlying slab is thinner and easier to impact the weak layer. This includes very steep slopes in the middle elevations, or upper elevation rocky and wind affected slopes. Large triggers, such as cornices or groups gathering in close proximity, increase the likelihood of impacting buried weak layers.

    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

The forecast area received almost 2 feet of snow from January 2nd-9th. Temperatures decreased during this period creating a right side up snowpack. Varying wind direction from northwest-southwest increased at the end of the storm, forming fresh wind slabs. Numerous human triggered avalanches were reported in steep, wind loaded terrain of adjacent forecast zones yesterday. Fortunately, none of these avalanches resulted in injuries. These wind slabs will be the main concern today, especially when traveling above terrain traps such as trees, cliffs, and gullies. Look for small clues such as textured snow surfaces or fresh cornices. 

Deeper in the snowpack, weak faceted snow formed in December is adjusting the overlying slab and decreasing the likelihood of triggering a large avalanche. The snowpack still needs time to adjust before we are fully confident that this avalanche problem is unreactive across the entire forecast area. As these weak layers become harder to trigger, steeper terrain will be necessary to initiate an avalanche. Use your best judgment to assess the terrain and snowpack to deal with the lingering uncertainty of the persistent slab problem. 

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