Large persistent slab avalanches may be able to be triggered by snomachines in isolated areas. Temperatures have become inverted and are 5 to 10 degrees warmer at the mid and upper elevations then they were yesterday morning. As the day warms the likelihood for loose wet avalanches and sloughs to occur on steep sunlit slopes will increase. Monitor conditions for increasing wet snow avalanche hazards.
Deep persistent slab avalanches could be human triggered with depths of three to six feet. Initiation of one of these dangerous slabs my take a larger trigger, such as a snow machine, impacting a weak, thin spot on a slope. Previous tracks on a suspect slope should not be considered to be an indication of stability.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Conditions will remain dry with seasonal to below normal temperatures through the weekend. Due to the dryness of this air mass and clear skies we will experience cold nights and warm afternoons. This evening's lows will be in the upper single digits to low teens. Highs on Saturday will be in the 20s and 30s. North to west winds will remain light. In the Greys River/Southwest Trails and Togwotee Pass areas large persistent slab avalanches may still be a problem in isolated areas. These dangerous slabs could be 3 to 6 feet deep and are more likely to be triggered by snowmachines. In those areas the general avalanche hazard is expected to be moderate.The general avalanche hazard in the Teton area is expected to be low in the morning. Increasing wet snow hazards could raise the hazard level to moderate during the warmest portion of the day. Low hazard does mean no hazard. Small slides can be dangerous and isolated pockets of wind slab up to 18 inches in depth could be triggered on steep avalanche prone slopes at the higher elevations.
