Togwotee Pass

Wet snow avalanches will be possible during the heat of the day when temperatures are the warmest and the sun is the strongest. These slides will start small, but could entrain more snow than you might expect.  Watch for roller balls and wet snow surfaces, these are indicators that similar steep slopes are starting to become unstable.

The possibility of triggering a large avalanche on buried weak layers has become very unlikely. You can still find weak snow in the snowpack, especially near the ground, but we just don’t have the right combination of weak layer, slab and triggers to produce avalanches in the vast majority of terrain. It is important to remember that persistent slab avalanches can be unpredictable, and with poor snowpack structure you can never rule out the possibility of an outlier event. Stay vigilant and thoroughly assess the snowpack before committing to consequential terrain.

BTAC avalanche forecast areas are large and there can be variations in snowpack, temperature, and weather even across drainages. Remember to continue to pay attention to what you are seeing and practice safe travel techniques. If you ever see red flags such as cracking around your skis, the wind blowing snow, or rapid warming of the snowpack, pay attention to it as these are often the best indicators of instability.  If you ever see any of these signs, are exploring some new terrain, or see anything interesting, please consider submitting an observation. Even during low danger, these observations help us with accurate avalanche forecasting, thanks!