Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Human-triggered avalanches are unlikely in most areas today. Continue to look out for unstable snow in isolated, wind-affected areas in extremely steep, rocky terrain above 10,000' and in sheltered, steep creek drainages in middle elevations. Low danger doesn’t mean no danger so continue safe travel practices, despite the danger rating.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow buried about two feet deep is the primary weak layer of concern at present. This layer is most likely to be preserved graupel or heavily rimed snow that fell January 2nd. In this zone, there have been no reports of surface hoar sitting on a temperature crust at this depth but the avalanche pictured here is suspiciously characteristic of this type of weak layer. Dig and perform stability tests before committing to your line. Noah's observation yesterday from the Park highlights current conditions and what a search for this layer looks like.

    Deeper, weak layers, three to six feet beneath the surface around the Christmas/holiday crust have been unreactive to human triggering as well as in recent snow stability tests. The last reported avalanche on this layer was triggered on January 1st by an enormous load of snow pushed by a snowcat.

    (1/10/2026)

    This avalanche was remotely triggered by a skier on a SE aspect at 7750 feet in Grand Teton National Park on January 10th. This avalanche type walks a blurry line between wind and persistent slab problem types. SS-ASr-r1-D2, crown depth 1.5 feet

Avalanche Discussion

The persistent layer in the forecast has varied widely in nature across our forecast zones from preserved rimed crystals, graupel and thin temperature crusts with surface hoar. A wide variety of snow crystal types and likely a trace of rain fell on January 2nd at the onset of a warm, wet Pacific storm and was then buried. Stability tests and the lack of avalanches on the layer in the Teton zone suggests that this layer is very unlikely to produce an avalanche. That said, observations have dwindled since the last active avalanche cycle and are entirely absent in a good bit of the zone. It would be wise to dig and look for this layer before committing to a slope and to continue safe travel practices.

Here is a preliminary look at the snowpack and fatal accident at LaBarge Creek. 

Regions covered