Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Highlights

Recent snowfall has settled into slabs 1-2 feet thick, primarily at upper elevations. New snow may also mask harder, old slabs that remain sensitive to triggering. Look for evidence of wind, such as drifts, stiffened surfaces, or cornices. These spots also hold a higher potential for triggering a larger avalanche breaking deeper in the snowpack. Consider moving to sheltered, low-angle terrain if you observe signs like cracking or collapsing, though these signs may not present before an avalanche releases, particularly as time passes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    New snow and consistent winds have formed slabs 1-2 feet thick that may be sensitive to a person's or machine's weight today. Large avalanches continue to be noted on the weak interface beneath this snow daily, some in sheltered terrain as new snow settles into a consolidated slab. These slabs sit on various interfaces, including crusts on solar aspects and facets on shaded aspects. It will be more likely to trigger these slabs in terrain over 35° in steepness and where the wind has deposited the new snow. Larger triggers, such as groups and snowmobiles, will also increase the odds of triggering. Multiple tracks can be on a slope before it releases.

    Slabs will have formed further down and across slopes than usual. Wind-affected areas can be identified by pillowed drifts or dunes, cornices along ridge crests, running down sub-ridges, and stiffened snow surfaces. Watch for signs of unstable snow, such as recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and whumping. 

     

    These creek drainages have previously avalanched, and debris was noted in the creekbed, in addition to these recent smaller cornice/wind slab avalanches. While Togwotee trends into Moderate hazard, terrain trap features like this should be considered cautiously or avoided altogether. 

    Photo: Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow formed during a dry period in the second half of January has been buried 2-4 feet deep by snowfall from the early February storms. A snowmobiler on a ridgeline triggered a very large avalanche at Togwotee Pass on this deeper, weak snow despite not seeing much activity throughout storm cycles on it. This illustrates the nature of this problem. The likelihood of triggering slabs at this interface is decreasing over time. However, activating this layer may still be possible in very steep terrain. Large triggers, such as a surface avalanches, cornice fall, or multiple riders on a slope, will increase the odds of impacting these layers in the middle of the snowpack.

    While the likelihood is on the low end of the scale, it remains vital to stack the odds in your favor by following safe travel protocol. Travel one at a time across steep terrain, use islands of safety, and communicate with your partners.

    (2/10/2025)

    This very large avalanche was triggered by a rider walking towards the edge of a slope from the U-trail on Lava Mountain on 2/9. 

Avalanche Discussion

Since the beginning of January, snowpacks across the state have nearly doubled. Recent snowfall has fallen on older, weak snow from January (~3-4 deep), in addition to a recent interface consisting of crusts/facets in the top portion of the snowpack (1-2 feet deep). This layer in the upper snowpack is the primary concern and remains reactive, trending stubborn to triggering. Though time will illustrate decreasing instability, the snowpack may not show us its cards while in this tapering process. This puts us, as backcountry users, in a particularly low-feedback scenario. Avalanches occur, get covered up by more snowfall, are blown in by the wind, happen overnight, go unreported, and are never seen. Understanding that we see a small spectrum of what happens in a mountain range on a given day or storm cycle is important. Even with so many user observations- helpful to the community and for which we are incredibly grateful- many have a bias toward frequented locations. They may be less representative of deeper or less visited areas. Keep this in mind when making travel plans today.  Snow will be less reactive over time, but uncertainty as to exactly which slopes in a range will stay just reactive enough for longer is unknown. Expect to find unstable snow in very steep, wind-loaded terrain.

If you see avalanche activity today, please consider submitting an observation HERE. Observations allow everyone to gain a better and more complete understanding of conditions. Thanks!

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