Bulletin d’avalanche

Tetons

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Sun
Alpin
3 · Marqué
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Points saillants

The weather this March has created multiple weak layers in the upper snowpack. Avalanches are likely today as recent storms have crafted fresh wind slabs. A variety of crusts formed earlier this month that may cause avalanches to fail a bit deeper. Assess slopes carefully and avoid wind loaded terrain. Use caution, two people have been caught and carried over the past two days.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Likely
    Taille
    1–2

    Wind slab avalanches will be easy to trigger today. There has been fresh snow every day over the past week accompanied by enough wind to move the new snow around. This recent weather has created slabs up to 3 feet in depth. Two people have been caught and carried in avalanches in the last two days in backcountry terrain adjacent to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. 

    The wind has transported snow onto a variety of old surfaces, several crusts were formed in the top meter of the snowpack and make for a great sliding surface. This structure is widespread. It is easy to be surprised by wind slabs as they can form in unexpected pockets. Watch out for snow surfaces that appear loaded or pillowy, cracking is an obvious sign of instability.

    (3/29/2024)

    A human-triggered wind slab avalanche, approximately 30 feet wide, that failed yesterday on Taylor’s southeast ridge.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    2–3

    Hard slabs 3-5 feet thick overlay weak snow that formed earlier in the season. Shallow, rocky, and unsupported terrain on the north half of the compass is where this problem has been most active. Thin areas in the snowpack can act as trigger points and are most common in these locations. It is currently unlikely that a human would trigger one of these slabs. Larger triggers, like cornice fall or surface snow avalanches, still have the potential to impact weak layers buried deeply in the snowpack and initiate a much larger avalanche.

    The last reported avalanche on these persistent weak layers occured on 3/19 (Bernie's Bowl) in the form of a wet slab during a week of warm weather and strong solar influence. The last dry avalanche occured on 3/5 after a large and rapid loading event. 

    An example of the type of terrain where it may be possible to trigger a deep persistent slab avalanche. 

    Photo: Teton County SAR

Avalanche Discussion

The snowpack across the mid and upper elevations of the Tetons contains multiple layers of concern. Weak snow continues to be well preserved at the base and several weak layers formed during the high pressure earlier in March. These generally involve some sort of crust and can be felt by probing into the top meter of the snowpack. Additionally wind slabs have become fairly widespread due to the return of regular snowfall that began March 22. The recent wind slab avalanches have failed on old snow surfaces, crusts, and have potentially involved some of the weak layers that are buried slightly deeper. Despite it being almost April, we continue to have a complicated snowpack.

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