JACKSON HOLE, WYO – After review of the winter storm situation, a collaborative decision has been made to keep the backcountry gates at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) closed for one more day.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with collaboration from the park, forest, and Search and Rescue, has determined that the backcountry gates will remain closed tomorrow, with the goal to re-open them on Friday, March 1.
This closure includes all gates that provide access to the Granite Canyon drainage and all gates to the south of the resort’s boundaries. Road closures, elevated avalanche danger, potential risk to rescuers, and continued weather events are all factors in this decision to close the resort exit points.
Grand Targhee Resort is also shutting down its access to backcountry skiing. At the request of the Teton County Wyoming Search and Rescue, both Scotty’s and Mary’s backcountry gates will remain closed until further notice due to high avalanche danger and difficult response times.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center is rating today’s avalanche danger at HIGH for all elevations. Conditions are still dangerous. An avalanche warning has been continued until 6am on Friday morning.
Yesterday a road cut slid on its own on Teton Pass and closed the road at 12:30pm. At 5:30pm a slide was reported to have naturally released in the Taco Bell Chute. Large wind slab avalanches involving the recent storm snow and very large and destructive persistent slab avalanches could release naturally or be human triggered on a variety of aspects. These slides could run full path. Dangerous wet slides are possible at the lower elevations where temperatures have been in the 30s for two days.
Keep an eye on those roofs when entering and exiting a building. Roof slides are very much a possibility in the coming days.
Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
