Togwotee Pass Avalanche Forecast — Jan 19, 2026

Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Deeply buried weak snow remains a concern, despite the many tracks in this forecast zone. The best way to avoid triggering this type of avalanche is to avoid riding on very steep slopes, especially slopes that end in a gully or other terrain trap. Remember to travel one at a time and keep eyes on your party when riding on or near any suspect slope.

Avalanche problems

Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Unlikely
Size
1.5–2.5
Old weak, faceted snow formed in the late fall is now buried by two to five feet of dense snow. The last avalanche to be reported on this layer was three weeks ago. That avalanche was a very close call for the triggering rider. While the overlying snow has settled more since that avalanche occurred, the weak layer beneath has not changed much, if at all. Persistent grains remain a problem. After being stressed by peak loading during storms and wind loading, they continue to hang around deep in the snowpack, potentially growing even weaker.
A rider had a very close call December 31, 2025. This avalanche illustrates the difficulty in pinpointing where you can trigger deeper weak layers. Note that this seems to be a shallow area, making it easier to trigger a weak layer.

Avalanche Discussion

High pressure and no snow for ten days have left any possible fresh snow covered in tracks. The lack of new snow does not mean that the snowpack is stable. The deep weak layers that frequently plague the high, thin and cold snowpack in Togwotee are still there. And while we haven’t had any avalanches in a while, those weak layers are still lurking. Think twice before riding on slopes over 35 degrees on shady, mostly northerly-facing slopes.

Remember the consequences of small avalanches triggered over terrain traps. The tragic accident that occurred in La Barge Creek is a reminder to remain vigilant in avalanche terrain at all times. Here is a link to thepreliminary report.

Togwotee Pass

Avalanche danger

Highlights

Avalanche problems

Persistent Slabs

Avalanche Discussion

Regions covered