Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Human triggered avalanches remain possible today, especially in steep, rocky, wind exposed areas at the middle and upper elevations. Buried crust-facet combinations lurk on NE through E through S slopes, though their strength should improve after today's warm up and refreeze. Moniter the effects of the sun on the snow surface today and minimize exposure time on steep sunlit slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Stubborn wind slabs that are 1-2 feet deep linger in the alpine. Easterly winds on Tuesday helped to form cohesive slabs of snow in unsual locations. Pay attention to signs of instability such as cracking within wind drifted snow. 

    Layers of weak snow exist within the top meter of the snowpack and deeper. The most recent snow lies on top of multiple crust/facet combinations that formed in March and February.  Triggering a 2-3+' thick persistent slab avalanche still remains a possibility. You're most likely to trigger a slide involving this weak snow on or adjacent to very steep slopes (steeper than about 35 degrees) where the wind has built slabs in recent days and weeks. 

    Deeper weak layers formed earlier in the season composed of crusts, facets, and depth hoar remain a concern. Triggering a wind slab or persistent slab on the March 20th interface could step down to these layers resulting in a large to very large avalanche.

    (4/5/2023)

    A closer look at the snowmobile-triggered avalanche on Phillips (Teton Pass) from April 5th. 

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose avalanches will continue to be a concern at the middle and lower elevations today as the spring warm up continues. Look for signs of instability such as roller balls on sunlit slopes. 

    Low elevations began showing signs of Wet Loose activity Tuesday afternoon.

Avalanche Discussion

Spring warm up continues today, with above freezing temperatures expected from the valley floor to the highest peaks. Clouds could gradually increase throughout the day as a moisture starved short-wave trough begins to impact the area tonight. These clouds could mitigate some wet loose development at the lower elevations but there is some uncertainty surrounding this situation. Wind slabs are prevalent in the alpine and their sensitivity to triggers could increase with solar input.

Recent avalanche activity was observed in Avalanche Canyon yesterday, mostly wind slabs that were size 1.5 or less. 

Have left the 3/20 and 3/29 persistent slab problems in place for now, but sensitivity is expected to go down after the peak heating today and subsequent refreeze tonight. Clouds should mitigate some solar impacts tomorrow, and then we are back into full on high pressure with seasonal to above average temperatures. Looking at the long term forecast it's not looking very snowy for April right now, but that could obviously change. 

Regions covered