Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
3 · Considerable
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Out of date — this forecast expired 10 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Strong winds with gusts to 71 miles per hour are redistributing the snow and creating wind slabs, especially at the lower elevations. Early this morning a large slab avalanche put up to 15 feet of avalanche debris on the highway just north of Jackson. A slab avalanche crossed the Spring Gulch Road around noon yesterday. Similar events are possible today. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify areas of concern. Monitor conditions and adjust plans if field observations indicate the avalanche hazard is rapidly increasing.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    At the mid and upper elevations pockets of stiff wind slab could be human triggered in steep avalanche prone terrain. At the lower elevations intense wind loading on a snowpack that is comprised of weak faceted snow is creating dangerous conditions. Slab avalanches have recently occurred on a variety of aspects and impacted roadways. These soft slab avalanches could release naturally or be triggered by wildlife and humans. These avalanches are most likely to occur in active avalanche paths and can run long distances.

Avalanche Discussion

Split flow will provide a period of lessened winds with light amounts of moisture through Thursday morning. Intensity of snowfall will increase in the afternoon and continue through Thursday night. A foot of snow could fall in the mountains by Friday morning. Temperatures at 9000 feet should rise from the low teens to near twenty degrees. Valley temperatures are to reach into the upper twenties. Given abundant weak snow including surface hoar near the top of the snowpack, as well as hard snow surfaces at higher elevations, it will not take a lot of new snow and wind to elevate the avalanche hazard on all elevations and aspects. However with the light accumulations expected overnight, the hazard is predicted to be Moderate in the morning, potentially increasing to Considerable during the day as snowfall intensifies. Check the morning bulletins for updated information.

Regions covered