LATE WINTER UPDATE - MARCH 17, 2021

Looking north from the summit of the South Teton - 3.13.21

After an incredibly snowy February the Teton Range has a fairly healthy looking snowpack that is providing good ski touring conditions as we move into spring.  Just when it seemed like it was never going to stop snowing, March rolled in and things dried up again rather quickly.  We now find ourselves in the middle of a relatively warm and dry spell that has moderated the severe avalanche hazard we were experiencing in February.

As the saying goes, however, low hazard does not mean no hazard!  Backcountry travelers still need to pay attention to terrain choices, current and forecasted weather systems, and avalanche forecasts as conditions can change rapidly during or after storm cycles, and even a small pocket of wind slab can prove deadly in steep, exposed terrain.

For up to date information on avalanche hazard and the state of the snowpack inside Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) please visit the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center website for the current Teton Area Avalanche Forecast and the outstanding GTNP Snowpack Discussions.

 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Does your group have the skills, knowledge and training to travel in avalanche terrain?
• Are you carrying transceivers, shovels and probes?
• Can you self-rescue? Do you have a plan?
• Do you know the emergency number?
• Have you checked the current avalanche forecast and weather forecast?
• Have you checked out with someone?
• Do you have any other route options?

All Park Visitor Centers and Campgrounds are closed for the winter season.  Camping is strictly prohibited in parking areas and pullouts.  Primitive dry camping with no available services is allowed for a small fee in the Colter Bay parking lot near the Colter Bay Visitor Center. 

Backcountry camping permits are required year-round for all overnight trips into the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park.  To obtain a permit to camp in the off-season please call the backcountry office at (307) 739-3309.