Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Persistent weak layers of faceted snow buried in the snowpack remain a concern at all elevations. Today, it is possible for skiers and riders to trigger small to very large slab avalanches in steep avalanche-prone terrain. At the upper elevations, where these slabs will be harder to trigger due to their depth and size, the consequences will be much higher as the size of the avalanche could be up to 6 feet in depth. At the mid and lower elevations and in areas where the snowpack is thin, it is more likely for the weight of a single person to trigger an avalanche, and slab depths could be one to 4 feet. Whumphing and collapsing of the snowpack are bullseye indications of instabilities. Careful evaluation of the snowpack and the terrain are essential to safely travel through avalanche terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Persistent slab avalanche could be triggered by the first person on a slope or after the slope has been crossed many times. In the Tetons at the mid and lower elevations, there continue to be reports of large collapses in the snowpack. There have also been reports of poor snowpack structure of facets over crusts and weak facets at the base of the snowpack. Reports of these conditions have been more frequent south of Tetons Pass, out of bounds at Snowking Mountain, and along the Teton fault in the Grand Teton National Park. Persistent weak layers are tricky to predict and take more time than one might think to become unreactive to triggers such as skiers and riders. Terrain evaluation is the only way to manage this hazard.

Avalanche Discussion

Northwesterly flow aloft will bring partly cloudy skies and dry conditions through Sunday afternoon before the chance for light snowfall develops. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid-teens before rising to around 20 in the afternoon. Northwesterly ridgetop winds will back to the west at 15 to 25 miles per hour.On Sunday, the general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate in the Teton and Togwotee Pass forecast zones. In the Tetons, the primary weak layers of faceted snow are rounding, deeply buried and difficult to trigger. However, the consequences of involvement in one of the resulting large to very large persistent slabs is high, and a fatal outcome is possible. On the other hand, the snowpack on Togwotee Pass has poor structure, but the overlying slabs are substantially smaller.The Southwest Trails forecast zone has the worst components of the other two forecast zones. The underlying structure is similar to Togwotee Pass, and the overlying slabs are near the depth of those found in the Tetons. This scenario results in dangerous avalanche conditions, and the general avalanche hazard is expected to remain Considerable.

Regions covered