Tetons

At the mid and upper elevations strong ridgetop winds have formed new soft slabs up to 18 inches deep. These slabs lie upon well developed problem layers consisting of faceted snow and hard crusts. These slabs could be triggered by backcountry travellers today. Avoid known avalanche paths and steep wind loaded slopes. At the lower elevations the snowpack is shallow and avalanches are unlikely.

A weather system from the West will move into the area late Monday night with snow developing by early Tuesday morning. Mountain lows tonight (Monday) will drop to near zero. Daytime highs Tuesday will be in the teens and snow intensity will increase through the day with 4 to 6 inches by nightfall. Winds will come from the Southwest at twenty miles per hour and will increase and veer to the West in the evening with thirty mile per hour averages and gusts to fifty. AVALANCHE HAZARD FOR THE TETON, TOGWOTEE PASS/CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND GREYS RIVER/SOUTHWEST TRAILS AREAThe general avalanche hazard is expected to rise from MODERATE on Tuesday morning and increase to CONSIDERABLE by evening at the mid and upper elevations (8,000 to 10,500 feet). 18 inch soft surface slabs are expected to increase in depth as the forecasted snow and winds develop. The current (Monday) slabs have been formed by southwest to northwest winds and lie upon unstable weak layers of faceted snow and good sliding surfaces. These slabs are likely to be easily triggered by humans on a variety of steep, wind loaded aspects and are not expected to have gained much stability due to the sustained cold temperatures. Loose snow sluffs are also possible. The general avalanche hazard below 8,000 is expected to be LOW. Below this elevation the snowpack is still quite shallow and avalanches are unlikely except for small loose snow sluffs and isolated pockets of shallow soft slab on very steep snow covered slopes.