Togwotee Pass

Problemas de aludes

• 

  Storm Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Likely

  Tamaño

  1–2

  Togwotee Pass has received 6-10 inches of snowfall over the past 24 hours, favoring toward the Divide's east side. Winds throughout the storm and into today will remain light and northerly. Yesterday on Angle Mountain, I observed a variety of smaller avalanches failing within the newest snowfall. Various crusts and weak interfaces also exist within the top three feet of the snowpack and will be more prone to human triggering over the next several days as skies start to clear and temperatures increase. As the day heats up, more slopes will become unstable. The new snowfall may not be wet or mushy; giving solar slopes a wide margin as skies clear and the day warms today will give you a wider buffer with the newest snowfall and the probability of triggering a larger, deeper avalanche (problem #2 below). If sinking into a mushy snowpack, find cooler snow or stick to lower-angle slopes. Pack it in early and give yourself options, including safer, low-angled options and exits not threatened from above by cornices or steep sunny slopes.

   

   

  

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Likely

  Tamaño

  1–2

  Wet snow avalanches are likely here today, and the threat of natural and human-triggered avalanches will quickly increase as the day heats up. Many of these avalanches will run as point releases and loose snow avalanches. Periods of clouds can press the pause button on this type of slide, but it doesn't take much March sun to melt the snow. Initially, these slides will have more of a dry character. The upper bit of the snow will melt and send the dry snow underneath, cascading down the slope. As the day warms and the sun melts deeper into the new snow, the debris from these slides will become wetter and more destructive. This problem will follow the sun, starting with E/SE aspects and wrapping around to S and W as the sun moves across the sky. Conditions will likely deteriorate more rapidly today, and there is a possibility that wet slides could be larger. If sinking into a mushy snowpack, find cooler snow or stick to lower-angle slopes. Be aware that this avalanche problem can produce large avalanches that travel far, so being out from under any overhead hazards 

   

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1.5–2.5

  Triggering a persistent slab avalanche is possible on weak snow buried 2-4 feet deep. The weak, sugary snow exists across all elevations and aspects except middle-elevation southerlies. The most probable areas to trigger a persistent slab avalanche include steep, rocky, and wind-affected slopes on the north half of the compass. These areas contain thin, shallow spots where riders can more easily impact weak layers. Shallower snow is also found east of the continental divide and south towards the Gros Ventre Range. Previous tracks on a slope are not an indicator of stability. Use caution in steep terrain and give yourself a wide margin of error on slopes with high consequences or near terrain traps. Move to low-angle terrain to avoid this problem. 

  The last known persistent slab avalanche occurred on 3/16 in Upper Deception Creek. On 3/19, a wet slab avalanche failing on these persistent weak layers occurred on Breccia. More avalanches such as these will likely occur today, and many problems may span the border between a wet slab and a persistent slab problem. However, both will be equally destructive avalanche types.