The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, which provides avalanche forecasts, weather information, educational events, and more to the Jackson Hole and Teton Valley areas and surrounding ranges, has released its 2024/25 annual report.
Forecasting for an area with seemingly endless skiable terrain and a hearty annual snowpack, BTAC is an integral part of the community. While BTAC is constantly releasing reports through the winter, the birds-eye view of their work throughout a season offers a meaningful perspective as the 2025/26 ski season nears.
Executive Director Dwayne Meadows and Director Frank Carus opened the report saying that the 2024/25 winter was "unremarkable and average in many ways" as it pertained to the Teton snowpack, but despite its averageness, there were many close calls, human-triggered avalanches, and burials.
"These close calls served as a reminder of the need for accurate forecasts and more avalanche education, even for experienced skiers and riders," continued Meadows and Carus' note.
Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.
Photo: Courtesy of BTAC
The winter was generally characterized by large storms with warm temperatures, with some even seeing rain reaching middle and upper elevations. All of BTAC's forecast zones ended the season with above-average snowfall.
BTAC also debuted a new division of their forecast zones that broke the Grey's River Range into four zones: the Big Holes, Snake River Zone, Salt & Wyoming Zone, and S. Wyoming Observation Area. Togwotee Zone was broken into the Togwotee Zone and the Gros Ventre Observation Area. The Teton Zone, which includes Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and its backcountry, remained mostly the same.
373 Avalanches Were Observed Last Ski Season
Throughout the winter, BTAC noted the observation of 373 total avalanches, 135 of these being human-triggered avalanches, with 18 of these being specifically reported as unintentional or near-miss. Several of the 135 avalanches caught, carried, or buried humans throughout the winter, some involving multiple riders within the same party.
Since 2020, the Western US has seen an increase in accidents involving experienced users, an increase in multiple burial scenarios, and more users being caught in terrain identified in the avalanche forecast.
BTAC also received 737 snow observations, with more than half being from the public—a crucial part of the information gathered by forecasters. The report thanks those who submitted observations frequently throughout the winter (which included our own Gear Editor, Max!).
BTAC's Education and Outreach
More than 2,000 participants showed up to the Center's 30+ outreach and avalanche education events throughout the season. BTAC also launched a mobile app that portrays the avalanche forecast in a mobile-optimized format, allows users to save forecasts to view while out of service, and submit observations and photos straight from the field.
Reports like these, and more broadly, organizations like the Bridger Teton Avalanche Center are essential as backcountry skiing continues to increase in popularity.
While everyone recreating in the backcountry wants to ski fresh powder and appreciate a walk in the mountains, it's an inherently dangerous facet of the sport.
Having not just the proper education and equipment, but appreciation for the heuristic elements and human component as well as the nuance of an ever-changing snowpack can be the difference between triggering a slide and not.
As the 2025/26 season approaches, think about brushing up on your avalanche education and thanking your local forecasters next time you see them out.
Related: Dreaming of a Winter Job in the Mountains? Ski Resorts Are Now Hiring
Wyoming Avalanche Center Observed 300-Plus Avalanches Last Ski Season first appeared on Powder on Aug 5, 2025
Comments