Avalanche forecast

Snake River Range

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Large human-triggered, wet snow avalanches are possible as snow warms in the heat of the day. Evaluate snow and weather conditions carefully for signs of rapid warming. Mushy, wet snow that you can sink up to your boot tops is a warning sign that the snow is unstable.

Natural and human-triggered wet slab avalanches two to four feet thick have occurred over the past three days, all of them have been large enough to easily bury a person.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2.5

    Below-freezing temperatures overnight created a thin crust over yesterday's mushy, soft snow.  This crust will melt quickly and send more water into the snowpack, reducing snow stability as it does. 

    • Wet loose sluffing in steep terrain is likely to occur and may entrain significant amounts of snow. This will most likely be a human-triggered problem today. Continue to carefully choose your timing and be aware of changing snow conditions depending on aspect, elevation and other terrain factors. Small pockets of wet loose snow can trigger a much larger and more dangerous slab.
    • Wet slab avalanches are dangerous. Dense debris on steep slopes can move fast if given the right bed surface.  Water melting into the snowpack breaks down bonds and creates an upside down snowpack. Wet slab debris is heavy and destructive. The best way to avoid these wet avalanche types is to  stay off of and out from under steep slopes cooking in the sun or turning to wet, slush.

    (3/21/2026)

    Large wet slab avalanche on Wolf Mtn in the Snake River Range, 3/21/26.

    Photo: George Hedreen

Avalanche Discussion

After a brief and nominal cooling spell, temperatures will continue to climb through the week and create the potential for larger avalanches. Cooling overnight has so far kept avalanches to D2-2.5 or smaller but we may be on the cusp of these growing larger depending primarily on overnight temperatures, thickness and timing of cloud cover. If you are looking to recreate in the mountains today you'll want to keep a close eye on cloud cover. Cloud cover today may slow further warming of an already warm snowpack. 

There is a degree of uncertainty in the forecast due to the variability of cloud cover. Thicker clouds will provide shade and slow dangerous melting.  Thin cirrus clouds will help heat all aspects, but to a lesser degree than direct sunshine.  Potential size increased to 2.5 today in this zone.

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