JACKSON, Wyo. — On Thursday, August 15, the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC) released its first ever annual report, providing a detailed overview of the 2023/2024 winter season. The annual report highlights a season of early drought, easily triggered avalanches and an abundance of late spring snow.
“It was an epic year for snow and avalanches,” BTAC Avalanche Forecaster Frank Carus told Buckrail. “It was a slow start to the season with drought but it went long.”
The 2023/2024 winter was not a record year for snowfall, but it was a significant year for avalanches and recorded citizen science observations. Carus said that there were 525 reported avalanches, with 122 that were human-triggered. A total of 829 observations were reported.
BTAC Executive Director Dwayne Meadows told Buckrail that increased public education resulted in a dramatic increase in submitted observations in all three forecast zones — Tetons, Togwotee and Greys River.
“We saw a significant increase in observations by snowmobilers and in the overall number of observations in the Greys River forecast zone,” per the report.
According to the report, the first half of the winter was characterized by below-average precipitation. Two early-season drought periods — one in November and one in December — made for a significant increase in natural and human-triggered avalanche activity throughout the months of January and February. The longest drought period lasted 24 days from early to late December, creating a thick layer of unstable surface hoar.
The month of January marked the rapid accumulation of heavy snowfall, with over three feet of snow recorded at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) in just two weeks. This put stress on the buried hoar layer, resulting in the largest avalanche cycle of the season. Backcountry recreation became increasingly dangerous during this period, according to the BTAC annual report.
From Jan. 14 to Jan. 23 there were five significant avalanches, all of which occurred within the middle elevations (7500-9000’). One of these incidents resulted in the death of long-time local skier and avid musician David Rice in Prater Canyon within the Greys River zone.
March came in like a lion with 40” of snowfall recorded within 36 hours at JHMR. March 2 set a 24-hour snow record and caused two-day closures for Teton Pass, JHMR, Grand Targhee Resort and Grand Teton National Park.
Meadows said that while all of last winter’s recorded data is available on the center’s website,”It’s really great to have all the information now compiled in one glossy report.”
In anticipation of the winter ahead, the Avalanche Center makes no predictions.
“It’s always a wait and see scenario,” Carus said. “I take all climate predications with a grain of salt.”
