Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist. Large to very large avalanches could be triggered by a single person crossing a thin area of the slab. It will be hard to determine the stability of a slope as it could be crossed many times before it fails and results in severe to deadly consequences. At the upper elevations, small to large wind slab avalanches on leeward slopes could be triggered and then initiate failure on deeper layers creating a much larger avalanche. These surface slabs may become more reactive during the warmest portions of the day. Careful route finding and travel techniques avoiding avalanche runouts and being below avalanche terrain will be essential to safely move through the mountains today. At the lower elevations, human-triggered avalanches are possible on steep terrain features.

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    Slab depths, over the December 5th interface of weak faceted snow and crusts, vary from 3 to 8 feet depending on aspect and elevation. After the past month of snowfall, a slab has formed in many locations. Recent avalanche activity on this layer is a reminder that it is still reactive to triggers. At the mid-elevations, where slab depths are thinner, these slides could be more easily triggered. When dealing with persistent weak layers that are buried several feet deep, warning signs of cracks and collapses will probably NOT be encountered and previous tracks do NOT indicate stability.

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent snow and wind have formed wind slabs at the mid and upper elevations. These avalanches could be 1 to 3 feet in depth and will be more easily triggered on steep avalanche prone terrain, especially as slopes warm from direct sunlight.

Avalanche Discussion

High pressure, mostly clear skies and developing inversions are expected on Monday. Morning temperatures will be in the single digits at high elevations and about 15 degrees colder in the valleys. Highs should reach the upper twenties at all elevations. West winds are to have 15-20 mph averages.The avalanche danger will decrease to Moderate at all elevations and all forecast areas. This lowering of the rating should not be interpreted as a green light to hitting avalanche slopes. The fact is that weak layers persist in the snowpack. The likelihood of triggering them has decreased but they can still be triggered by the weight of a single rider or skier hitting a particular weak spot on some slopes. Determining where a deep slab avalanche could occur is difficult and tracks are not an indication of stability. If triggered, these hard slab avalanches could have depths of three to seven feet and carry severe consequences.

Regions covered