Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Highlights

New snow combined with warming temperatures and atypical northeast to east wind will increase avalanche danger throughout the day. Triggering storm and wind slab avalanches will be possible on steep slopes over 35° and capable of stepping down to deeper weak layers triggering a large, destructive avalanche. Look for signs of unstable snow such as heavy snowfall, wind loading, and cracking snow surfaces during your travels. 

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 5:00am Friday.

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow buried 5 feet deep exists near the ground above 9,000’. Triggering an avalanche at this depth is very unlikely but not impossible. Manage this problem the same way you would manage weak layers in the middle of the snowpack by avoiding very steep, rocky, and wind loaded terrain.

     

    (2/11/2025)

    The crown of the recent avalanche on the E face of Lava ~10,400'. This monstrous slab was triggered from a this spot in the snowpack as a person stepped off of their snow mobile and walked toward the top of the slope.

    Photo: Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

  • Wind Slabs

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

    New snow combined with strong east to northeast wind will form fresh slabs around a foot deep on leeward terrain. These atypical winds will form slabs in uncommon areas. These avalanches could be larger, around 18 inches deep, breaking below the new snow on crusts buried two days ago.  Active wind transport of snow is a clear indication that unstable slabs are forming. 

    Warming temperatures will also create unstable new snow in areas favored by the storm on slopes sheltered by the wind. Up to 12 inches of snow is possible in the eastern portion of Togwotee that will be favored by the storm. These slabs could also break below the new snow on crusts buried tw days ago. Look for upside-down snow quality with denser snow above lighter snow as a sign that unstable storm slabs are forming. Assess how the new snow is bonding by performing quick hand shear stability tests.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Triggering an avalanche on weak layers buried 2-3 feet deep is possible on very steep slopes over 35° in the upper elevations. Signs of instability such as cracking, collapsing, or recent avalanches may not be present before triggering a large, dangerous avalanche. These avalanches are capable of propagating widely across or up a slope. Multiple tracks on a slope do not indicate stability with this problem type. Terrain that remains most suspect includes complex, very steep, rocky, and wind affected slopes where thin spots can impact the buried weak layers

    Triggering a wind or storm slab is capable of stepping down to buried weak layers and producing a larger avalanche.

     

    (3/1/2025)

    Large avalanche that failed on persistent weak layers 2-3 feet deep in complex terrain. 

    Photo: Dakota Richardson

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