Persistent slabs continue to pose a serious threat to backcountry travelers. Cautious route finding and conservative decision making will be necessary for travel in avalanche terrain. Skiers and riders might also be able to trigger shallow pockets of wind slab on steep, wind loaded slopes.
Hard slabs up to three feet deep lie upon weak, faceted snow. Saturday's snowfall added weight to the underlying weak layers, making these slides more susceptible to failure. These persistent slabs could be triggered by skiers and riders in steep avalanche prone terrain.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Expect increasing cloud cover during the day on Monday before a Pacific storm system begins to bring snow starting late Monday. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the single digits before rising into the teens during the day. Northwesterly ridgetop winds will back to the west at 10 to 20 miles per hour.The General Avalanche Hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Monday in the Tetons. Backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of recently developed wind slabs up to 18 inches deep in steep, wind loaded avalanche terrain. Any extended periods of sunshine will make these slides more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects.Persistent slabs up to three feet in depth continue to pose a threat to skiers and riders in the Greys River and Togwotee Pass areas. In the Togwotee Pass area, the General Avalanche Hazard is expected to be MODERATE. The General Avalanche Hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE in the Greys River area where these slabs are more widespread and easier to trigger. New snowfall from Saturday also added some weight to the underlying weak layers.
