Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 8 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Areas of instability persist. In steep terrain at the mid and upper elevations humans could trigger slab avalanches on persistent weak layers of faceted snow. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations except on isolated terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully. The best way to manage the hazard associated with persistent weak layers is by making conservative terrain choices.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    At the mid and upper elevations large persistent slab avalanches could be triggered on buried layers of surface hoar. These slabs could be one to four feet deep. Although the potential for the weight of a single person to trigger one of these slabs is slowly decreasing, trying to determine which slopes are stable and which are not remains problematic due to the distribution variability of the buried weak layers. These slabs may become slightly more sensitive to human triggers during the warmest portion of the day.

Avalanche Discussion

Cloud cover will increase overnight, and light snowfall will develop by midday. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the upper teens before rising into the upper 20s during the day. Valley temperatures will rise into the mid-30s in the afternoon, and rain will be possible. Southwesterly ridgetop winds will increase to 20 to 30 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain Moderate above 7,500 feet on Saturday. Skiers and riders still have the potential of triggering persistent slab avalanches ranging in depth from one to four feet in steep, avalanche prone terrain. There is a significant amount of spatial variability associated with these persistent slabs, both between and within forecast zones. Many slopes are stable, some are not, and it is difficult to distinguish between the two. Your best tool for avoiding avalanches is to make conservative terrain choices. Below 7,500 feet, mostly stable snow exists. Down there, small wet slides might become possible if a rain on snow event occurs in the afternoon.

Regions covered