Yesterday, several skiers and riders triggered small pockets of wind slab in the southern Tetons. At the mid and upper elevations, skiers and riders could trigger similar slides on steep, wind-loaded slopes. In terrain that is sheltered from the wind, the chance of triggering loose snow sluffs will increase as the day warms on sunlit aspects. Monitor the effect of the sun on the snowpack and avoid wind affected terrain. The snowpack is mostly stable at the lower elevations, and avalanches are unlikely.
Strong northerly to northwesterly ridgetop winds have redistributed light density snow that fell earlier in the week. On a variety of aspects above 8,000 feet, backcountry travelers could trigger wind slabs ranging in depth from 6 to 24 inches in steep terrain that has recent deposits of wind affected snow.
The ridge of high pressure over the region will slowly move east and begin to flatten. Skies will be mostly clear to partly cloudy above patchy morning valley fog. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near 10 degrees before rising into the mid 20s during the day. Northwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 20 to 30 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate above 8,000 feet on Sunday. There, backcountry travelers venturing into steep, wind-loaded terrain could trigger wind slabs to depths of 6 to 24 inches with the Togwotee Pass area on the shallower end of the spectrum. Sluffing of the recent snowfall will also be possible on very steep slopes not affected by the wind, and daytime warming will increase their likelihood on sunlit aspects. The chance remains for skiers and riders to trigger full depth avalanches on northerly aspects above 9,000 feet in the Togwotee Pass forecast zone. While these persistent deep slab avalanches are unlikely in the Greys River area, they still warrant mention due to their severe consequences.
