Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

Look for signs of wind drifted snow today, especially near ridge tops, passes and below cornices. Triggering a soft slab avalanche 1-2' thick is possible there.  You'll find safer riding conditions in wind sheltered areas  though loose snow avalanches could be large enough to be a problem in steep terrrain. Be wary of steep, rocky and previous wind swept areas where deeper weak layers may be close enough to the surface to be triggered. 

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Field observers yesterday reported less wind affect than expected on the new snow. There were brief periods of wind strong enough to transport snow but they were brief enough to leave lots of surfaces barely affected. Expect all the issues that come with copious new snow today including  sluffing that could push you around in big terrain and  the potential for soft slab avalanches 1-2' thick that would entrain a significant amount of snow if triggered. Evaluating snow surfaces and minding your slope angle will key today though flat light will make this challenging at times. The new snowfall and wind effect are recent so travel lower angle slopes, treed slopes or places sheltered from the wind to avoid these new snow problems. Wind was gusty and localized in the past 48 hours and seems to have been really variable across the region.  Continue to be on guard for variable winds, warming temperatures and periods of sunshine which could decrease stability. 

     

    (2/27/2024)

    Small (D.5), soft wind slab easily releasing on lee side of a ridge at 10,000 feet. This is an example of where and what type of problem you're most likely to encounter today. Expect larger amounts of snow in any avalanche triggered in the northern parts of this forecast zone

     

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Changing weather means giving slopes with older, weak snow a very wide buffer. Hard slabs 3-5 feet thick overlay weak snow that formed earlier in the season. Triggering a very avalanche breaking on deeper, weak snow in this zone is unlikely but a recent new load of snow plus warming temperatures warrant vigilance around  steep, rocky, unsupported, and wind-affected terrain. Thin spots in the slab (trigger points) are most common in these locations on shady slopes. While it has become unlikely for a human to trigger one of these slabs, larger triggers such as cornice falls, smaller avalanches or humans triggers still have the potential to impact weak layers buried deeply in the snowpack.

    The Wyoming Range harbors a weaker and shallower snowpack, making it easier to impact these weak layers. The Snake and Salt River Ranges hold a deeper snowpack, making triggering less likely.

    (2/27/2024)

    Dry loose avalanches and an older but recent cornice fall on the east face of Ramshorn Peak. We gave this steep and rocky slope a wide berth riding yesterday. 

    Photo: Frank Carus

Avalanche Discussion

Skiing and riding is so good right now that you might forget about the potential for avalanches. Don't do that. While there is a lot of terrain with stable snow with few, if any, signs of instability like cracking and collapsing, you'll want to monitor for the above problems. You should also keep in mind the potential for triggering a deeper slab on the many slopes that failed on the drought layers that formed this year. These "repeat offenders" may be lurking quietly in the dark and should have you thinking twice on steep slopes especially at mid-elevations or any area with a thinner snowpack. 

Regions covered