Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
No rating
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Human triggered avalanches are likely in steep terrain on all aspects and elevations. Warm temperatures have settled a stiff slab over weak December snow. You are most likely to trigger an avalanche where the snowpack is thin, such as rocky or wind affected areas. Avalanches are becoming harder to trigger but the consequence of getting caught and strained through obstacles remains high.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow left from December is buried 1-3 feet in most areas on Togwotee Pass. This includes all aspects (sunny and shady) at just about all elevations that you may be riding. Upper elevations have more snow and a thicker slab has settled and stiffened over the last few days as a result of warm temperatures and wind. It is becoming more difficult to trigger an avalanche by collapsing the weak layer under this slab. Impacting and collapsing the weak layer is most likely to occur if you encounter an area where the snowpack is thin or if you happen to trench down with your sled in just the wrong spot. It is becoming less likely to trigger an avalanche, but given the widespread nature of the December drought layer, these avalanches can still propagate long distances. The Barber’s Point avalanche that occurred on Saturday is a great example of how far these avalanches can propagate across slopes. 

    Give steep slopes and runout zones a wide margin. With a little new snow overnight and warming temperatures, conditions can be more sensitive during the heat of the day. Remotely triggering an avalanche from above, below or next to a slope is possible. Watch out for cracking and collapsing as you travel, but with this tricky snowpack, obvious clues do not always present and it’s possible to trigger an avalanche without seeing any clues of instability. A wide safety margin is your best bet. Increase your margin by riding low angle slopes, avoiding overhead avalanche terrain and giving terrain traps a wide berth.

    A nautral slab avalanche that occured in steep, thin terrain. 

Avalanche Discussion

The last reported avalanche on Togwotee was the 20th. Unfortunately, in a zone like Togwotee with limited observations coming in, a lack of events on the website does not always correlate to stability. Gabrielle and Noah rode out to Mt Leidy yesterday and observed multiple avalanches that probably also occurred on the 20th. We can speculate that the snowpack might have begun to adjust to the latest snow load but it is too soon to draw that conclusion based on reported events. More likely, the stiffening slab is protecting the weak layer more effectively, resulting in fewer avalanches. Stability tests continue to show that the December drought layer is still reactive and has the propensity to propagate. If you find the right spot, you can trigger an avalanche and the consequence remains high. When in doubt, dig down and see if there is weak, sugary snow beneath you.

 

Regions covered