Up to 28 inches of new snow with three inches of moisture have fallen at the upper elevations since noon on Sunday. This snowfall has been accompanied by very strong winds that have created dangerous avalanche conditions. At the mid and upper elevations large soft slab avalanches are likely to be human triggered in steep terrain and could release naturally. Expert terrain evaluation skills and conservative terrain choices are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain. Generally safe conditions exist at the lower elevations however travelers should avoid the run-out zones of overhanging avalanche paths.
Soft surface slabs created by southwest to west winds lie upon hard crusts and firm old snow surfaces. At the mid and upper elevations these slabs are one to three feet deep and could be human triggered on density changes within the new snow or on those deeper old snow surfaces. Natural avalanche activity is possible.
An unstable northwest flow will continue to bring snow showers to the mountains. Snow shower activity is expected to be heavier before midnight, taper off into the morning and increase again with less intensity on Wednesday afternoon and evening. Temperatures will remain mostly in the teens and 20s. Winds will veer to the west-northwest and decrease from 25 to 15 miles per hour.Dangerous avalanche conditions exist at the higher elevations. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE at the upper elevations of the Teton and Greys River/Southwest Trails areas. Large human triggered avalanches are likely in steep terrain. The general avalanche hazard at the upper elevations of the Togwotee Pass area and the mid elevations of all three forecast zones is expected to be MODERATE. Large human triggered avalanches are possible on steep avalanche prone slopes. The general avalanche hazard at the lower elevations is expected to be LOW.
