Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

You could trigger a wind slab avalanche in upper elevation terrain—identify and avoid slopes with evidence of wind drifting. As the day warms up, small loose snow avalanches could occur on very steep slopes that face the sun. Generally stable conditions exist on slopes protected from the wind and sun.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    New snow and wind create fresh wind drifts at upper elevations that you could easily trigger. The past 72 hours have delivered around 10-15" of snowfall to the Tetons' upper elevations, favoring the range's west side and northern end. Snow will move easily on the old snow surface, and conditions at middle and low elevations with less snow will be icy. Expect features like terrain constrictions, couloirs, or steep open snow faces to harbor this problem. This is not a widespread problem but think about the consequences of taking a ride in a small avalanche before committing to a slope. While these wind slabs probably won't bury you, they're too big to tangle with. They could knock you off your feet in consequential terrain, push you into trees, or wash you into a terrain trap. The possibility of wind slabs breaking wider than expected makes them less "manageable" than they normally might be. The best approach is to "identify and avoid." 

    (4/2/2024) Photo: Mike Calla

    Similar conditions have produced natural and human-triggered avalanche activity over the past week. Given the sun's appearance today, give slopes with winded snow a wide margin.

    (4/2/2024) Sheep Creek Peak. Photo: Mike Calla

  • Loose Wet

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

    Today's warm temps and sunshine could produce wet sluffs. These could occur naturally as the day warms up. Pay attention to the terrain above you, especially if it is located on the southern half of the compass. These avalanches begin at a "point," usually the base of a warm rock or your skis, and fan out to collect snow as they move. They are most hazardous in confined terrain or on large slopes where they gather a lot of snow. Roller balls and small point releases also indicate that surface snow conditions are becoming unstable.

    (4/4/2024)

    A D1.5 wet loose avalanche. Wet loose avalanches often start at a point, near exposed rocks or trees, and fan out. 

    Photo: Cameron Galt

Avalanche Discussion

A few days ago, I was chatting with a mentor in Bozeman about risk because this is the time of year when we tend to accept more risk, not only as mountain professionals but as recreationists. Why? Because conditions lend themselves to greater stability and, of course, because it's fun. However, making that risk-taking process extremely well-calculated is crucial. Usually, I hear the counter-statement to any discussion of risk in the backcountry: "Well, life is risky. Driving involves more risk." And sure, I can buy aspects of that statistic. But he had a different perspective. We rarely see the full spectrum of risk that we are generally exposed to on the daily. The internal and external pulls on our decision-making are much more complicated to understand regarding the backcountry.

An easy example of this is social media. When I'm driving, and someone passes me on the double yellow doing 70 mph on Teton Pass and swerves in front of a (sneaky) semi just in time to return to safety, I never think, "Wow, I'd like to do that, that was so cool." But when we see people threading needles or taking risks in a different context, like skiing, the mental response is usually quite different. And sometimes, it's easier to frame things in this context. It's fun to push yourself in the mountains, but knowing when to back away is an equally important skill, and understanding your motivations as an individual can be a tough onion to peel. As you move through the mountains today, take the time to observe the nature of the snow you are traveling through, who you're traveling with, and if your personal internal and external factors align with the terrain choice you're making. 

 

Help us improve avalanche forecasts! CLICK HERE to take an avalanche forecast survey and be entered into a prize drawing. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the Avalanche Research Program at Simon Fraser University, and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research are researching how skiers, snowmobilers, snowshoers, ice climbers, and anyone else who travels in the backcountry interpret avalanche forecast information. Part of this research includes a specific survey to better understand how useful avalanche forecast information is for trip planning. Thank you for sharing your feedback to help us improve avalanche hazard communication. 

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