Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 13 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist due to several days of snowfall and sustained strong west winds. Surface slabs formed by these winds lie in steep terrain at all elevations. Backcountry riders and skiers have the potential to trigger these slabs as well as deeper slabs that lie upon old buried weaknesses at the mid and high elevations. Cautious route finding and conservative decision making is essential today.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong west to northwest winds have formed soft wind slabs on leeward slopes at all elevations. These slabs could be triggered with depths to two feet at the mid and high elevations and with depths to one foot at the lower elevations. At the high elevations these slabs could release naturally, particularly near high peaks and ridge crests where the most significant loading has occurred and where pieces of cornice may fall onto a slope. Once triggered these wind slabs could cause deeper weaknesses in the snowpack to fail.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    3

    Weak layers of snow persist deep within the snowpack. Failure of these large and dangerous hard slabs is hard to predict. The potential exists for them to fail to the weight of a single person although larger triggers such as the weight of a snowmachine, a group of skiers, or a moving surface slab may be required to cause them to release. These slabs could have depths to five feet and the consequences of being caught would most likely be fatal.

Avalanche Discussion

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the region until 5 PM on Sunday. Similar conditions are in store as northwesterly flow continues to bring Pacific moisture to the region. Another six to ten inches could accumulate in the next 24 hours and possibly more in the Southwest Trails area. Temperatures will be a bit warmer tomorrow with mountain highs rising into the mid to upper teens. The valleys could see daytime temperatures near freezing. Westerly ridgetop winds will also increase to 20 to 30 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain CONSIDERABLE on Sunday and could increase to HIGH in the Southwest Trails area where more snow has fallen and greater amounts of new snow are in the forecast. Newly and recently formed wind slabs, with depths up to three feet, could be triggered in steep, wind-loaded terrain. Weak, faceted layers in the lower portion of the snowpack remain a concern. Failures involving these layers would produce very large avalanches and the likelihood of surviving one is minimal. Large avalanche paths that are prone to heavy wind loading should be avoided.

Regions covered