At the mid and upper elevations skiers and riders have the potential to trigger recently formed wind slabs in steep avalanche terrain. A slight potential also remains for heavy loads to cause large avalanches to occur deep within the snowpack. Avalanche activity below 7500 feet is not expected today.
Backcountry recreationalists have the potential to trigger recently formed slabs with depths to 3 feet. These slabs will be most likely to be found in very steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones or in cliff areas..
Although it has become unlikely to trigger such an event in the Tetons, a slight chance exists to trigger deep weaknesses that were buried in December. Failure of this layer is likely to involve large triggers such as a piece of falling cornice or a snowmachine hitting a part of terrain where the snowpack is thinner and the weakness is more accessible.
The chance for light, scattered snow showers will persist overnight before a drying trend begins in the early morning hours of Saturday. Cloud cover will decrease, and mostly clear skies are expected by noon. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near 10 degrees before rising into the low 20s in the afternoon. Southwesterly ridgetop winds will veer to the northwest and decrease to 5 to 10 miles per hour by midday.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate on Saturday. Skiers and riders could trigger recently developed wind slabs up to three feet deep in very steep, wind-loaded terrain above 7,500 feet. Sunshine, warming temperatures and the absence of wind could increase the likelihood of triggering these slabs on sunlit aspects in the afternoon. Monitor the effect of the sun, and transition to shaded terrain if snow surfaces become damp. While persistent deep slab avalanches have become an outlying event, their high consequences warrant continued mention. These slides are more likely occur in areas where the snowpack is shallow; and substantial triggers, such as snowmobiles, cornice failures or the release of a wind slab, would be the most likely culprits to initiate one of these dangerous avalanches. The snowpack is mostly stable below 7,500 feet, and significant avalanche activity is unlikely.
