Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You can significantly reduce your risk of triggering avalanches today by sticking to gentler terrain. Obvious signs of instability, cracking, and collapsing, may be decreasing, but it is still very easy to trigger a large avalanche on many steep slopes. Carefully consider the terrain you think of as safe and give steep areas a wider margin than usual. Avalanches can be triggered below or next to a slope, creating a broader, more destructive slide.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Snowmobilers and skiers can trigger slabs 1-3 feet deep on many steep slopes today. These avalanches continue to be triggered on all aspects (shaded and sunny) at all elevations. Slabs could be triggered from a distance by the first rider or even wait until the last person in your group is riding the slope to release. Avalanches have the potential to propagate across large spans, including entire slopes. This was illustrated within the last several days on Barber’s Point, where a natural avalanche released across the entire slope. These avalanches continue to be triggered on all aspects (shaded and sunny) at all elevations. Slabs could be triggered from a distance by the first rider or even wait until the last person in your group is riding the slope to release. If you are uncertain about the terrain around you, sticking to a lower-angle option with little consequence is the best way to mitigate this problem.

    (1/20/2024)

    The cliffs at Togwotee, E aspect, 9,192 Photo: Benton Patterson

Avalanche Discussion

We've seen a marked uptick in avalanche observations over the past several days at Togwotee. The snowpack has undergone significant change since Jan 4. Snowfall began on the 4th after a month with little to no precipitation.  Initial snowfall was associated with cold temperatures and minimal wind.  This helped to preserve well-developed weak layers.  The loading rate was slow enough at the onset of this period to keep avalanche activity to a minimum. As time passed and the snow continued to stack on top of those weak layers, instability rose slowly.  The first reported activity in the Togwotee forecast zone was noted on Jan 7th. A combination of warm temperatures and poor snowpack structure has created unstable conditions. Expect more of the same today, and sticking a shovel in the snowpack can help you assess if this weak snow is present. If you choose to enter the mountains without any additional assessment each day, you choose to accept a very wide range of outcomes. All danger is not equal; no two seasons set up the same, and the current snowpack will require continual reassessment, careful terrain selection, and patience to play in the mountains with a wide enough margin.   

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