Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A week of snowfall and strong winds has created dangerous avalanche conditions. Soft wind slabs could be triggered on all elevations and on many aspects in starting zones that have been wind loaded. Above 8000 feet, the chance to trigger deep persistent slabs also continues. Yesterday, no one was injured in two different slides could have had dire consequences. Outside the backcountry access gate at Grand Targhee, a group of three was caught and carried in a large slide involving a deep crust and faceted snow. One member of the party was able to dig himself out and then find find his two companions, one who had an arm sticking from the snow while the other was fully buried. To the south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort a southeast facing slope was triggered by the fifth skier on a slope. This slide involved the recent snow, had a three foot crown and quickly ran down to the flat terrain below. Exercise cautious route finding by identifying wind loaded terrain and by evaluating the snowpack, particularly in areas where the weak basal snow exists.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong west to southwest winds have transported snow onto leeward aspects. These slabs will be further loaded today by new snow and strong southwest winds. Backcountry travelers could trigger these slabs with depths up to three feet if they fail on the interface layer buried on January 1st or they could be more shallow if they release on density changes within the recent snow. These slabs can be found throughout steep terrain at the higher elevations and on specific terrain features including road cuts to the groomed trails at the low elevations where depths could reach twelve inches.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow near the base of the snowpack continues to be a concern. This layer has been further stressed by recent snow and avalanches involving it could release once a slope is impacted by a triggered wind slab or possibly by the weight of a single person or group of people. This layer has been most active on northwest to northeast slopes above 8500 feet but can be found on other aspects as well. Being caught in one of these large hard slabs is likely to have severe consequences.

Avalanche Discussion

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Light snow is to begin around 2am tonight and bring an inch or two of snow by sunrise. Moderate snow is then expected through the rest of the morning with periods of heavy snowfall. On Wednesday afternoon and evening, snow is to become more showery in nature but snowfall rates could still be moderate to heavy. Six to eight inches could fall by Wednesday evening. Winds are to be from the south, backing to the southwest with twenty to thirty mile per hour averages. Temperatures at 9000 feet are to rise from the teens to the low twenties. The general avalanche hazard will remain Considerable. Human triggered avalanches involving snow that has fallen since January 1st could fail with depths to three feet in steep wind loaded areas and the chance continues for large to very large slides to occur on persistent layers near the base of the snowpack. These deeper slides could have depths to five feet at higher elevations. Below 8000 feet, isolated pockets of wind slab could be triggered with depths to eighteen inches.

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