Avalanche forecast

Snake River Range

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

It will be possible to trigger avalanches 1-2 feet deep in steep upper elevation terrain today. Triggering will become more likely as new snow and wind builds slabs later in the day. Avalanches involving the new snow have the potential to step down to weak layers deeper in the snowpack, producing much larger and more destructive avalanches. Careful evaluation of the terrain and snowpack will be critical in avoiding avalanches today.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    New snow overnight combined with incoming snow and wind will create slabs up to 2 feet in depth that will be sensitive to the weight of a person today. Be on the lookout for obvious signs of instability such as recent avalanches, shooting cracks and collapsing. Avoid wind loaded features in the upper elevations, as this is the most likely type of terrain to find unstable snow today.

    Wind loaded terrain in the upper elevations will be the most liklely place to trigger avalanches today.

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    A variety of weak layers combined with crusts exist within the middle and lower part of the snowpack. These interfaces hold the potential for large to very large avalanches releasing today. While on the lower end of the scale of likelihood, they cannot be ruled out. Avalanches falling anywhere from 2-6 feet deep could be released under the weight of an avalanche occurring within the new snow or from large triggers such as groups and snowmobiles.

    (1/1/2026)

    Hard slab remotely triggered by snowcat after terrain hit by large explosives in closed terrain at JHMR on Jan 1st.

Avalanche Discussion

Today the most likely avalanche to trigger will be within the most recent storm snow. Winds are redistributing snow into slabs 1-2 feet thick on leeward aspects in the upper elevations. 

Moving down through the snowpack are several layers that are concerning but not an imminent threat. A crust that formed around Christmas sits roughly 2 feet down and can be found up to 9000 feet in elevation. Weak snow has been detected above this crust. Test results and recent avalanches indicate that this interface holds potential to produce larger avalanches. This combination does not exist everywhere, but is in enough locations to warrant concern and respect. With the increasing likelihood of new snow avalanches releasing, this interface could come into play as a legitimate layer of concern today.

Weak snow and crusts can also be found closer to the ground.  These layers are generally too deep to be affected by a single person or machine. However, an outside chance remains that a large group impacting a thin spot or an avalanche involving the new snow could be enough to produce very large avalanches today.

Regions covered