Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Triggering a large avalanche that fails on weak snow buried 1-3 feet deep is possible in steep terrain today. Triggering from a distance is not out of the question. The consequences of triggering avalanches at this depth are high and warrant conservative terrain choices.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow that formed in early December sits 1-3 feet below the surface and remains a lingering threat today. Triggering an avalanche at this depth carries severe consequences. While it is becoming more difficult to trigger these deeper layers, it cannot be ruled out. This includes triggering from a distance or below the slope. The last human triggered avalanche involving these weak layers occurred on January 4th and was remotely triggered from below. Thin spots in the slab are the most likely places to impact these layers. Thin spots usually exist around very steep, rocky, and wind blown terrain features.

    Large triggers in the form of groups, snowmobiles, and falling cornices will increase the odds of impacting these layers. Use safe travel practices in order to minimize your exposure to this problem. Travel one at a time across steep terrain, avoid steep gullies, and communicate plans with your group members throughout the day.

    Additional Discussion: The recent snow from the past 48 hours is settling and appears to be bonding well to old surfaces. No new avalanches were reported yesterday and winds have remained light. Wind slabs were removed from the problem list today, although it remains a good idea to check for unstable wind drifts if traveling to the highest reaches of the forecast zone.

    (1/5/2025)

    Looking up from the burial site at the remotely-triggered large avalanche off the west shoulder of Brooks Lake Mountain near Breccia that occured on Jan 4th.

    Photo: Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

The snowpack on Togwotee is generally shallow and weak. The early season brought minimal amounts of snow and generally cold temperatures. This helped to form weak layers of snow close to the ground. Beginning in mid December, storms deposited snow and created slabs on top of this weak snow. Average slab depths now range between 1-3 feet and have had time to gain strength. As a result, obvious signs of instability such as recent avalanches, shooting cracks, or collapsing may not present themselves prior to triggering. An avalanche was triggered just over a week ago resulting in a fatality. This is a sobering reminder of the serious nature of triggering and involvement in avalanches at these depths. With the passage of time it becomes more difficult to trigger these deeper layers. Despite this improving trend, it is important to understand that we will be dealing with this problem for the foreseeable future. Patience is key when dealing with a persistent slab problem and today’s approach should be no different than yesterday.

If you see avalanche activity today, please consider submitting an observation HERE. Observations allow everyone to gain a better and more complete understanding of conditions. Thanks!

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