Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Highlights

Triggering a large avalanche is possible on steep, wind-drifted slopes. This possibility also exists on upper-elevation slopes that are sheltered from the wind. Buried weak layers are capped with a growing slab of settled or wind drifted snow and could produce an avalanche up to two feet thick. Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential, particularly in upper-elevation terrain or on any shallower slope.  

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    The weight of  new snow added a bit more stress to a variety of weak layers in the snowpack.  Our most concerning persistent weak layers sit near the middle and base of the snowpack. An avalanche failing on one of these layers has the potential to be  large, particularly in open and well-connected terrain features. Persistent weak layers are difficult to deal with. They can produce avalanches many weeks after they are buried and they provide fewer and fewer obvious signs of instability with gradual snowfall. They can break wider than you might expect and may be triggered remotely, from gentle terrain adjacent to steeper slopes.

    Additionally, wind slabs may build today along exposed ridges and in cross-loaded gullies as well as lower on slopes. Togwotee has many steep rolls and terrain trap features right off of the road. Even a small avalanche in these areas could prove deep and consequential. Cracks shooting from your boards or sled are an obvious sign that you’ve found a sensitive slab. Smaller wind slab avalanches have the potential to step down to more deeply buried weak layers resulting in a large avalanche.

    (1/7/2023)

    Persistent slab avalanche. Split Rock Creek: 9000' NE aspect

Avalanche Discussion

The Pacific moisture that has brought deep and stable powder skiing and riding has served to reduce avalanche concerns to more obvious avalanche problems nearer the surface in the Tetons and Greys zones. This applies only to those zones where the snowfall has been copious. Drier zones, such as the east side of the Southwest trails zone and Togwottee, are where weak layers persist. Buried surface hoar seems to be the culprit in avalanches that have occured most recently in those locations.  Teton avalanches have been a result of more obvious wind loading but even those avalanches have been limited due to the mostly light winds.  Yesterdays observations and field time indicate that the areas in the Tetons and Salts that received the most storm snow generally adjusted well to the new load with limited signs of instability.  Today will see signifcant improvement in visibility which will provide a good opportunity to assess this new snow for signs of wind affect. 

 

Regions covered