Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
No rating
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Today, small avalanches made up of mostly loose snow are possible in steep upper elevation terrain. Small pockets of slab up to 12 inches may also be found in isolated areas that have been affected by the wind. These slides could be large enough to knock you off your feet and drag you into terrain traps such as trees or gullies. Watch for signs of instability such as cracking as they are a good indicator that you found an area with a newly formed slab.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Dry

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

    About 10 inches of low density (6-7%) snow has fallen in the Tetons over the past three days. Wind speeds at 10,000' have been in the low teens (mph) out of the southwest/west with a brief period of higher intensity on Friday night. Light winds and cold temperatures have done little to form a cohesive slab in the new snow. For now, the primary new snow hazard is sluffing in steep terrain. The new snow has fallen on a variety of weak surfaces including crusts, facets, and surface hoar all of which do not bode well for bonding at the new/old interface. It may also be possible to find soft slabs 6-12” deep in upper elevation, leeward (NE-SE) starting zones, however, their distribution is not widespread given the calm winds and low moisture content of the new snow. Keep in mind that loose snow avalanches can entrain large volumes of snow and can push you over cliffs or into trees if caught.

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    While unlikely, avalanches involving weak snow buried 1-3 feet deep cannot be ruled out in steep, north facing terrain at the upper elevations. As of now, persistent slab avalanches are not of primary concern, however, this is likely to change as we add additional load to the snowpack next week.

Avalanche Discussion

The much anticipated end to a month-long dry period is finally upon us. Low density new snow that has fallen over the past several days is lacking any significant slab properties and hasn’t added enough weight to our snowpack to change the current avalanche conditions. Friendly powder has covered up the ugly surface conditions that were present just a few days ago. Although they are out of sight, these weak surfaces should not be out of mind. Models are fairly confident that a storm beginning on Tuesday of next week will bring a significant load to the Tetons (~1.5” of SWE). If this loading event pans out, it will stress the weak layers formed during the December drought and likely result in increased avalanche activity. Furthermore, significant snowfall will also stress weak layers buried deeper in the snowpack putting large, destructive avalanches back on the table. Only time will tell how the upcoming storms play out, but the next few days are a good time to begin a shift back towards a conservative mindset.

Regions covered