Togwotee Pass

The general avalanche hazard is MODERATE. Recent new snow has fallen on weak, well developed surface hoar. The new snow and winds have created soft surface slabs up to 12 inches in depth and loose snow sloughs which could be triggered on steep, avalanche prone terrain features. The new snow has also loaded a snowpack with persistent weaknesses at its base. The potential continues for people to trigger deep, hard slabs up to six feet deep in some steep avalanche paths. The release of these slides would likely require a larger trigger such as a snowmachine or multiple riders or skiers.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. ) Tuesday will dawn partly cloudy and cold with lows well below zero. Winds will be westerly at 15 miles per hour in the morning increasing to 25 by evening. Daytime highs will rise to near ten degrees above and only light snow is expected ahead of a strong winter storm Tuesday night into Wednesday for which the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch.Soft slabs as deep as thirty inches in depth will continue to be possible despite cooler temperatures. Buried faceted snow will remain unstable and wide, fast moving slabs and sloughs could rapidly build to dangerous size. Some potential remains for deep hard slabs up to six feet in depth to be triggered, especially by snowmobiles. The possibility of triggering these deeper slabs is higher in the Continental Divide/Togwotee Pass area where the snowpack rests on a weak base of faceted snow. The General Avalanche Hazard will remain CONSIDERABLE Tuesday.