Avalanche forecast

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

At the mid and upper elevations 12 to 18 inches of snow from the storm ending Saturday was pushed by strong southwest to westerly winds creating soft slabs on lee slopes. Yesterday skiers triggered slides in steep terrain at mid and upper elevations. A large, natural avalanche occurred on the Powder 8 face of Cody peak Saturday night running on the old October crust. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    At mid and upper elevations backcountry users have the potential to trigger soft slabs to three feet in depth on steep, lee slopes. Yesterday a skier triggered a two foot slab on the steep roll-over in Avalanche Bowl south of Tetons pass. South of the Jackson Hole Resort a snowboarder was caught in a slide in extreme terrain. Deployment of his airbag may have prevented a bad outcome. More detailed information can be found on our website. Similar events should be expected today.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    3

    Saturday night a large, natural slide ran on the Powder 8 face of Cody peak. The slide ran on the October crust. Additional snow loading and large triggers are likely necessary to release similar deep slabs.

Avalanche Discussion

Snowfall is expected to continue into mid day Tuesday. Accumulations by Tuesday afternoon are expected to be 8 to 10 inches in the Tetons, 5 - 7 inches in the Southwest Trails/Greys River area and 4 to 5 inches in the Togwotee Pass area. Mountain temperatures will be in the single digits in the morning then warm to near 20 in the afternoon. Winds will be westerly at 20 miles per hour on ridge crests.The easily drifted, light density snow is developing into soft surface slabs to two feet in depth on lee slopes. Avalanches have the potential to start with or pull out deeper slabs to three feet in depth that could include the snow from Saturday's storm. With strong winds also blowing below the ridgetops, cross loading of slopes on a variety of aspects is likely. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Considerable in the Tetons. Weaknesses at the base of the snowpack on the October crust on northerly aspects at upper elevations continue. Triggering deep, hard slabs on those layers would likely require large triggers such as rapid loading of dense snow, warming temperatures or several people at a time on a slope. In the Southwest Trails/Greys River and Togwotee Pass/Continental Divide areas the hazard is expected to be Moderate. In those areas weaknesses at the base of the snowpack hold the possibility for humans to trigger deeper, hard slabs on northerly aspects at upper elevations.

Regions covered