Boletín de aludes

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Wed
Alta montaña
3 · Notable
Límite del bosque
3 · Notable
Bajo el límite
2 · Moderado
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 6 months ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist today due to rapidly changing conditions. New snow and strong winds are combining to create unstable slabs, especially in wind loaded areas in the middle and upper elevations. Conservative terrain choices are warranted today.

Problemas de aludes

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Likely
    Tamaño
    1–2

    Active weather that developed overnight is helping to produce unstable conditions, especially in wind loaded terrain in the upper elevations. Watch for obvious signs of instability such as shooting cracks, collapsing and avalanches. When any of these signs are present it is a warning to move to lower angled terrain. Slabs will range from 1-3 feet and be most sensitive as they are forming during the morning hours. Triggering a wind slab holds the potential to step down to weak layers 1-3 feet deep (see persistent slab problem description for more detail).

    Example of how to identify wind loaded terrain. 

    Photo: Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1.5–2

    Weak snow that formed in January sits below slabs that formed during storms from last week. The sensitivity of these slabs has been on the decline and the distribution of the underlying weak snow is spotty. Expect sensitivity today to be on the rise as new snow and wind creates unstable surface conditions. When this combination of factors exist, it is difficult to know which slopes are more likely to produce avalanches. With this uncertainty, the best bet is to hedge your bets by practicing safe travel habits. Expose only one person at a time, regroup in true islands of safety and communicate clearly with your partners when entering steep terrain.

    A snomobile triggered avalanche near Togwotee Pass that occurred on 2/13. Triggering a slab like this is possible in isolated pieces of terrain in the Salt/Wyo Ranges.

Avalanche Discussion

The month of January brought an extended period of dry weather. This allowed for the formation of weak snow in terrain that was sheltered from the sun. In some areas this weak snow was up to a foot in depth, while in other areas it was only the top few inches of the snowpack. As a result, the distribution of this weak layer is considered “spotty” in that it is not uniform across all slopes. Snow that fell last week has slowly settled and formed slabs that are more cohesive and sitting above these weak layers. These factors make it difficult to anticipate where avalanche activity involving last week's slab and the underlying weak snow is more likely to occur. With the passage of time, sensitivity of these slabs has slowly declined.

Today's new snow and wind will allow for a significant bump in sensitivity of both the new snow and the January drought layer.  Because of this it will be important to dial back terrain choices today as instability spikes.

If out recreating in the Salts or Wyoming Range today, please consider posting an observation here to help the community make informed and safe decisions in the backcountry. Thank you!

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