Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
No rating
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Highlights

Triggering a large avalanche that fails on weak layers of snow buried 2-3 feet deep is possible in very steep terrain in the upper elevations. Warm temperatures early today will again weaken the upper snowpack and trigger wet loose avalanches. Avalanches are unlikely at the low elevations except for in isolated pockets of very steep terrain. Be mindful of the potential for large cornices to fail.

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    Weak layers are most likely to be triggered where the slab is 2-3 feet thick and on very steep slopes over 35 degrees. Signs of instability such as cracking, collapsing, or recent avalanches may not be present before triggering a dangerous avalanche. Multiple tracks on a slope do not indicate stability with this problem type. Large triggers such as a cornice fall or multiple riders on a slope increase the odds of triggering a persistent slab. Suspect terrain includes very steep, rocky, and/or wind affected slopes where thin spots exist making it possible for humans to impact buried weak layers. Check out this excellent observation that further investigates the potential for avalanches to fail on weak layers at the ground.

    Persistent slab avalanches are capable of propagating widely across or up a slope. For this reason, it is not out of the question to trigger a larger hard slab avalanche with depths over 5 feet as a result of hitting a thin, shallow portion of the slope. Heavily wind affected slopes are where these avalanches could break deeper, such as this very large persistent slab on Lava Mountain that occurred on February 10th.

    The last human triggered persistent slab avalanche occurred on March 2nd in terrain similar to this.

    Photo: Dakota Richardson

Avalanche Discussion

The overall structure of the snowpack remains poor around Togwotee Pass despite the recent spring weather. Weak layers of sugary facets are still preserved 2-3 feet below the surface in the upper elevations. Weak snow exists in some shaded lower elevation terrain, but is generally lacking an overlying slab. A large human triggered avalanche involving weak layers of buried facets occurred just over a week ago on Mount Leidy. Persistent slab problems are slow to change and this is certainly true around Togwotee. It is likely that this problem will be on the radar until later in the spring when melt cycles start to change the structure of layers deeper in the snowpack. For the time being, it is worth remaining vigilant around very steep and complex terrain.

If you see avalanche activity today, please consider submitting an observation HERE. You can also text what you see to us at 307-264-3050. Observations allow everyone to stay calibrated to conditions in the field.

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