At the mid and high elevations, dangerous avalanche conditions exist on all aspects. Human triggered avalanches are likely today in a snowpack with instabilities both near the surface and deeply buried in the snowpack. Conservative decision making is essential. Yesterday two snowmobilers were buried to their necks in Horseshoe Bowl near Teton Pass. It took them several hours to self rescue and one person sustained serious injuries. Similar events are likely today. At low elevations pockets of surface slabs could be triggered in steep wind loaded terrain.
Nearly 100 inches of snow has fallen since early December. This snow lies upon very weak faceted snow and crusts and is unstable. Deep hard slab avalanches could be triggered by the weight of a single person. If triggered, these slabs could have depths to five feet and are likely to carry serious consequences.
Winds slabs formed during the past few days from new snow and primarily southwest winds lie in the backcountry. These slabs could be triggered with depths to two feet.
Expect mostly clear skies and very cold temperatures on Saturday. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near 10 below zero before climbing into the single digits during the day. Valley lows will be even colder. Northeasterly ridgetop winds will range from 5 to 15 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain CONSIDERABLE on Saturday. On a variety of aspects in the Tetons, the weight of a single skier or rider could release deep persistent slab avalanches up five in depth on slopes above 7,500 feet. Similar slides up to four feet deep are likely in the Togwotee Pass and Greys River areas. Use conservative decision making and come home safely to your friends and family this holiday season.
