Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Small wind slabs and/or larger slabs involving persistent weak snow layers can be triggered by riders and skiers today.  Both of these hazards can be avoided by staying out of very steep avalanche terrain, especially terrain that apears to be freshly loaded or where coverage is visibly deeper and looks like an avalanche starting zone. 

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Wind slabs, formed by southwest to northwest winds, lie in high steep terrain. These slabs could release as soft or hard slabs with depths to a foot. If triggered, they could quickly involve older, weak snow layers. Although they have become generally less reactive over the last 5 days, they will become more sensitive today as they are weakened by increasing temperatures and sunlight. 

    (2/11/2023)

    Wind slab on West Angle that likely has some solar influence increasing reactivity. 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2.5

    Poor structure exists in the snowpack at Togwotee.  Watch for areas that have a thick cohesive snow layer  over obvious weak and faceted (sugary) snow deep in the snowpack and/or near the ground. Digging and examining the layering is the best way to identify this weakness, however feeling the snowpack collapse or feeling a snowmobile track occasionally breaking into weak snow, are also warning flags that nearby steep slopes may avalanche. Avalanches involving old buried layers could be soft or hard and have depths of 2-3 feet or more in the highest avalanche terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

The triggering of avalanches is decreasing overall, however daytime warming has been providing periods each afternoon of increased sensitivity. Even with yesterday's warm, above freezing temperatures, settlement has slowed to an inch a day. That indicates the snowpack has adjusted to the most recent storms. The problem remains in the concern that, although unlikely, a single person can hit a weak spot on a slope involving old weak snow and trigger a large slide in known avalanche paths such as those on Leidy, Grouse, or in similar terain. 

Regions covered