Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

The Tetons have received 15 to 20 inches of new snow and close to an inch of water since Thursday morning. Winds associated with this snowfall have been light, keeping slab development limited. Riders and skiers could trigger shallow soft slabs or loose snow sluffs, involving the new snow, on steep terrain at the mid and upper elevations. The additional load of new snow may also increase the potential for backcountry travelers to trigger deeper slab avalanches on persistent buried layers at all elevations, especially with a larger load like snowmachines. Below 7,500 feet, persistent slabs are expected to be smaller and limited to steep isolated terrain features. To avoid these hazards, backcountry travelers should carefully evaluate terrain and snowpack.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The new snow lies over a variety of surfaces including crusts on solar aspects. Skiers and riders could easily trigger soft wind slab avalanches one to two feet in depth. New snow sluffs will also be easy to trigger on steep slopes, especially where the new snow lies over firm surfaces. On slopes with sustained vertical relief, like in the Grand Teton National Park, these loose snow sluff could entrain snow and increase in size.

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Some potential may remain for skiers and riders to trigger persistent slab avalanches on buried layers of faceted snow and surface hoar. These persistent slabs avalanche could also be triggered by the release of a wind slab or loose snow avalanche. At the mid and upper elevations, these persistent slab avalanches could be two to five feet deep. At the lower elevations, where sugary snow lies below stronger snow, persistent slab avalanches with depths of one to two feet are possible in isolated areas.

Avalanche Discussion

Dry conditions and partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies are in store for Western Wyoming on Sunday. Overnight lows in the mountains will drop into the single digits before rising into the mid-teens during the day. Ridgetop winds will be light and variable.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain Moderate in the Teton and Togwotee Pass forecast zones. In steep avalanche terrain, skiers and riders could trigger loose snow sluffs and small to large, soft surface slabs. Triggering large to very large persistent slab avalanches is becoming unlikely. In the higher elevations of the Tetons, these low probability/high consequence events are likely restricted to failures occurring in faceted layers that formed on the surface of the snowpack or faceted snow surrounding crusts. To the northeast on Togwotee Pass, basal weak layers that formed early in the season are the most concerning.Similar soft surface slabs and loose snow sluffs involving the recent snowfall could be human triggered in the Southwest Trails forecast zone. The likelihood for backcountry travelers to trigger large to very large persistent slab avalanches is greater than the other two areas, and the general avalanche hazard will stay at Considerable on Sunday.

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