Avalanche forecast

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

It will be possible to trigger avalanches in steep, wind loaded terrain in the upper elevations today. New snow and wind is forming slabs that will be sensitive to the weight of a person or machine. These slabs will be less than a foot in depth but will be large enough to knock you off your feet or activate weak layers deeper in the snowpack.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Active weather that developed overnight is helping to produce unstable conditions, especially in wind loaded terrain in the upper elevations. Watch for obvious signs of instability such as shooting cracks, collapsing and avalanches. When any of these signs are present it is a warning to move to lower angled terrain. Slabs will be less than a foot in depth and be most sensitive as they are forming during the morning hours. Triggering a shallow wind slab holds the potential to step down to weak layers 1-2 feet deep (see persistent slab problem description below for more detail).

    (1/25/2026)

    Example of wind loaded terrain

    Photo: Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow that formed in January sits below slabs that formed during storms from last week. The sensitivity of these slabs has been on the decline and the distribution of the underlying weak snow is spotty. Expect sensitivity today to be on the rise as new snow and wind creates unstable surface conditions. When this combination of factors exist, it is difficult to know which slopes are more likely to produce avalanches. With this uncertainty, the best bet is to hedge your bets by practicing safe travel habits. Expose only one person at a time, regroup in true islands of safety and communicate clearly with your partners when entering steep terrain.

    Click here to see recent avalanche activity around Togwotee.

    (2/12/2026)

    These slabs were triggered by snowmobilers near Grouse Mountain four days ago and are good examples of the type of avalanches that you may encounter.

Avalanche Discussion

The month of January brought an extended period of dry weather. This allowed for the formation of weak snow in terrain that was sheltered from the sun. In some areas this weak snow was up to a foot in depth, while in other areas it was only the top few inches of the snowpack. As a result, the distribution of this weak layer is considered “spotty” in that it is not uniform across all slopes. Snow that fell last week has slowly settled and formed slabs that are more cohesive and sitting above these weak layers. These factors make it difficult to anticipate where avalanche activity involving last week's slab and the underlying weak snow is more likely to occur. With the passage of time, sensitivity of these slabs has slowly declined. 

Today's new snow and wind will allow for a slight bump in sensitivity of both the new snow and the January drought layer.  Because of this it will be important to dial back terrain choices today as instability spikes.

If out recreating in the Togwotee forecast area today, please consider posting an observation here to help the community make informed and safe decisions in the backcountry. Thank you!

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