Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Steep or wind-loaded slopes in the middle and upper elevations hold the potential to trigger a large or very large slab avalanche.  Steep slopes and areas beneath cliffs may contain slabs three feet thick or more that are sensitive to triggering.  Warm temperatures and sunshine may lead to increased sensitivity or even some wet avalanche activity at middle and lower elevations but only on very steep, solar aspects as temperatures rise. You'll find that the 12-15" of new snow that has fallen in the past 3 days provides great riding with fewer avalanche concerns. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Buried weak layers could produce an avalanche 1-3' thick.  The west side of this zone has received much more snow in the past few days which makes old weak layers a  more stubborn problem than on the east side of the zone. There the weak layer is closer to the surface and easier to trigger.  Riders in Squaw and Murphy Creek report many avalanches occurring during the past few days apparently involving the new snow. 

    (1/11/2023) Photo: Carus

    This avalanche on a northeast aspect appears to have failed at the old snow interface. We were unable to reach the crown safely to confirm or deny if buried surface hoar was responsible. 

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Storm and wind slabs up to two feet thick or more may be found in areas affected by gusty wind yesterday or steep areas where sluff has accumulated.  These slabs could grow more sensitive this afternoon as temperatures rise and if sunshine heats up surfaces though this problem will be limited to isolated areas on steep, solar aspects. Yesterday, small natural wet slides occurred on road cuts near Salt River Pass and brief clearing in Cottonwood Creek allowed a rider to observe natural loose avalanches.  The new snow is settling and bonding but is  entirely stable yet.   

Avalanche Discussion

The Pacific moisture that has brought deep and stable powder skiing and riding has served to reduce avalanche concerns to more obvious avalanche problems nearer the surface. This applies to those zones where the snowfall has been copious. Drier zones, such as the east side of the Southwest trails zone and most of the Togwottee zone, are where weak layers persist. Buried surface hoar seems to be the culprit in avalanches that have occured most recently in those locations.  Teton avalanches have been a result of more obvious wind loading but even thoise avalanches have been limited due to the mostly light winds.  Yesterdays observations and field time indicate that the areas in the Tetons and Salts that received the most storm snow generally adjusted well to the new load with limited signs of instability.  Today will see signifcant improvement in visibility which will provide a good opportunity to assess this new snow for signs of wind affect.  

Regions covered