Avalanche forecast

Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Clear skies and warm temperatures mean conditions remain dangerous. If you're finding wet snow, stick to gentler slopes.  Larger avalanches can be triggered from a shallow part of a slope, expand into deeper areas, and be triggered even after multiple tracks are on a slope. Be aware of the terrain around you, and give yourself an extra buffer if traveling below steeper slopes or large avalanche paths.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3

    Riders can trigger large hard slab avalanches failing on very weak snow formed in December. You can find this avalanche problem on many slopes, and knowing the trend in instability in the terrain you frequent and being patient with this avalanche problem will be essential. Avalanches could break 2 to 4 feet deep in the middle and upper elevations and 1 to 2 feet deep below 7,500 feet. 

    These avalanches continue to be triggered on all aspects (shaded and sunny) at all elevations. This type of avalanche is becoming more stubborn, but if you trigger one, the consequences will be high. Avoid exposing more than one person at a time if traveling on or below avalanche terrain.

    (1/27/2024)

    A large skier triggered avalanche occured within the last 36 hours on Prater Mtn in the Salt River Range. Observer saw tracks to crown/flank and tracks in bed surface.

    Photo: Eric Taft

  • Loose Wet

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

    Today, we should see mixed cloud cover and more direct sun. If you're riding in the fog/cloud line, the chances of encountering this problem are less likely but be aware that upper elevation terrain above you may be in direct sun.

    These avalanches will most likely take the form of loose wet slides on slopes on the south half of the compass, and you're most likely to encounter this problem on steep slopes that directly face the sun. These slides should stay confined to recent snow that gets wet and sluffs. However, they can travel long distances and have the potential to trigger a larger, more dangerous avalanche that breaks in older snow within the snowpack.  Watch out for areas where Avalanche Problem #1 above and this one overlap.

     

    (1/29/2024)

    Wet loose avalanches in steep E facing terrain at 10,000 feet near Gunsight Pass. These likely occured on Jan 28th, the day before we observed them.

    Photo: John Fitzgerald

Avalanche Discussion

As you move through the mountains, take the time to observe the nature of the snow you are traveling through. Today, you'll likely find sticky riding conditions, but this warm-up will likely bode well for the future if we're patient and give the snowpack time to adjust. A trend toward stability is usually slower and may not be as linear as we think. Last week up Cliff Creek in the Hoback, all of my snowpits failed on isolation (meaning I didn't get a chance to even isolate or tap on it before it propagated). One week later, I could dig a snowpit and got two taps into an ECT before it failed. Even though that change was an improvement, is it really any different?  It did not change my terrain choices. Time and warm temperatures like we are experiencing this week should bode well for the snowpack in the long term; patience and good terrain selection is required. 

 

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