Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

Conditions remain dangerous and conservative terrain choices continue to be the best practice to avoid being involved in an avalanche accident.  Human triggered slides are likely today in very steep terrain at the mid and upper elevations, including treed slopes. Although not predicted to be as large, avalanches can also be triggered at the low elevations. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    A widespread layer of weak faceted snow, including surface hoar lies underneath consolidated snow that has fallen since early January.  Avalanches involving this weak layer can be triggered at all elevations and on most aspects today with expected depths of 2 to 4 feet at the mid and high elevations and with depths to two feet at the low elevations.  Although natural avalanche activity is not expected today, areas of the snowpack remain so weak that triggering a slide remotely remains a possibility. For this reason, travel under steep, connected avalanche paths should be avoided.  Other slopes may fail after being tracked several times, when a particularly weak spot is impacted or a larger force such as more than one person impacts it.  

    An older weak layer that formed in November exists on northerly aspects at mid and upper elevations. Though generally dormant, avalanches that step down to this layer could be very large and destructive. No avalanches have stepped down to this layer since the peak of the last avalanche cycle on Jan 10/11th.

    (1/23/2024)

    This avalanche occurred in the northern part of GTNP on Tuesday. The skier was buried but quickly rescued by skilled companions. 

Avalanche Discussion

Restraint and vigilance. Those words will continue to be important as high pressure moves in and the chance for human triggered slides slowly decreases over the next several days. As the likelihood declines, it is not equating to a healing of the weak problematic layer formed during December.  Also, ski or sled tracks are not penetrating down to that layer and the weakness will generally be well preserved in the snowpack. Human triggered slides will remain possible on that layer for the foreseeable future.  The continued reports of collapse and "whomphing' are obvious indications that the snowpack is still weak and every decision involving steeper terrain has to be made carefully with snowpack evaluation being an important piece of the process. Thanks to the many folks out there taking the time to share their snowpack observations on the B-TAC platform. 

 

 

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