Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

Avalanche conditions remain dangerous today, and warm temperatures will increase hazard. Riders continue to trigger large slides almost daily on steep slopes. Avalanches can be triggered from a shallow part of a slope, expand into deeper areas, and be triggered even after multiple tracks are on a slope. Be aware of the terrain around you, and give yourself an extra buffer if traveling below steeper slopes or large avalanche paths.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3

    Riders can trigger large hard slab avalanches failing on very weak snow formed in December. You can find this avalanche problem on many slopes, and knowing the trend in instability in the terrain you frequent and being patient with this avalanche problem will be essential. Avalanches could break 2 to 4 feet deep in the middle and upper elevations and 1 to 2 feet deep below 7,500 feet. 

    These avalanches continue to be triggered on all aspects (shaded and sunny) at all elevations. Two days ago, skiers triggered a large avalanche on Prater Mountain on a SW aspect at 9,500 feet. This type of avalanche is becoming more stubborn, but if you trigger one, the consequences will be high. Give yourself and your group a wide margin and avoid exposing more than one person at a time if traveling on or below avalanche terrain.

    (1/27/2024)

    A large skier triggered avalanche occured within the last 36 hours on Prater Mtn in the Salt River Range. Observer saw tracks to crown/flank and tracks in bed surface.

    Photo: Eric Taft

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Direct sunshine on snow is a recipe for wet snow avalanches. These will most likely take the form of loose wet slides on southerly-facing slopes, and you're most likely to encounter this problem on steep slopes that directly face the sun. These slides should stay confined to recent snow that gets wet and sluffs. However, they can travel long distances and have the potential to trigger a larger, more dangerous avalanche that breaks in older snow within the snowpack.  Watch out for areas where Avalanche Problem #1 above and this one overlap.

     

Avalanche Discussion

We can easily slip into confidence in a snowpack without a push in that direction, particularly several days out from recent snowfall. But snowpacks do not like rapid change, and near or above-freezing daytime and nighttime temperatures are just that. Choices in terrain should match this evidence, not our personal history with an area. Evaluating your terrain and travel decisions in the mountains is critically important right now on a slope-by-slope basis. If you choose to travel in the mountains, you must execute a danger/problem assessment every day, on every slope, on your own dime.  If not, we trend towards guessing–a practice that does not lend itself well to repeatability. This snowpack setup does not heal quickly. If you doubt the snowpack you are entering, choose gentler slopes without overhead hazard.

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