Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

The avalanche danger will rise to Considerable today as new snow falls at intense rates later in the afternoon. Avalanches will be more likely on wind-exposed, upper-elevation slopes—especially those that are getting drifted by today's wind. Triggering a smaller avalanche is also possible on steep slopes in sheltered terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Expect to find touchy conditions later today on most aspects. Snowfall rates this afternoon may approach 1 inch an hour with strong winds, and impact the southern section of the Greys earlier. Prior to today, we've accumulated some light, dry snow. Today's snowfall will likely be touchy on this interface alone. You are most likely to encounter this problem at upper elevations where snow totals are greater, and wind speeds are higher. Monitor changes in snow conditions throughout the day, and watch for signs of cracking and collapsing. How weather pans out today and into tomorrow will load a significant slab likely sitting on a very weak surface.

    Today will be a good day to start ratcheting back your terrain choices. I'd avoid any steep upper-elevation slope with evidence of wind effect. Late today, triggering avalanches on steep, wind-sheltered slopes may also become a real possibility.

     

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow formed during November now sits ~2-3 feet below the surface and has proven to be mainly dormant. While unlikely, these avalanches 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 will likely change as we add additional load to the snowpack.

    (1/8/2024)

    On wind-exposed steep rollovers, we could trigger small patches of new snowfall starting to form slabs atop buried surface hoar around 1.5 feet deep. These areas were easy to trigger and will increase in size an extent over the next several days.

    Photo: Gabrielle Antonioli

Avalanche Discussion

Drip. Drip. Drip. A trickle of loading from snowfall and, more recently, wind, has slowly been loading very weak snow. Later today, this trickle will become a full-on faucet. Prior to last week, we had a faceted snow surface that was fairly uniform across the forecast area. This uniformity is beginning to break down as different portions of this forecast area have received vastly different snow amounts and are about to get loaded at varying rates today. While we're only talking about differences in inches of snowfall here, that can make all the difference currently. This is particularly true where the storm's timing will determine the hazard.  No matter how you cut it, expect rapidly changing snow conditions today.

The trend of a diverging pattern between this zone's northern and southern sections will continue with today's weather system strongly favoring the southern. Prior to this, the north section of the zone saw greater snowfall amounts over the past several days. Yesterday, in the northern Star Valley region (Salts), we noted around 1.5 feet of new snowfall from the previous storm. Today's southwest flow will change that.  Expect different regions to reach the tipping point late today and into tomorrow. 

Isolated terrain features below 7,500' have accumulated enough snow to warrant a danger rating. In those locations, the avalanche danger today will remain low.

Regions covered