Tetons

Up to 16 inches of new snow from the storm ending Sunday morning rests on slick wind pack and sun crusts at mid and upper elevations. Backcountry travelers could trigger soft slabs or sloughs to two feet in depth on steep slopes. Light winds reduced the development of slabs but sloughs were easily triggered by people yesterday and grew rapidly in size and traveled far in their paths. Any periods of sun will release sloughs from cornices or rocky areas. In very steep areas below ridges and in chutes, deeper slides involving older snow could be triggered. At lower elevations be alert to loose sloughs on isolated, steep terrain features.

The weak branch of a split flow will bring light snow to the mountains overnight then a break is expected Tuesday morning. Snowfall will increase with light accumulations Tuesday evening. Morning low temperatures at 9,500 feet will be near 10 degrees then warm to the upper teens. Winds will be northwesterly overnight then westerly during the day Tuesday at 15 miles per hour, increasing to 25 in the afternoon.The avalanche hazard will be Moderate Tuesday. Loose sloughs and soft slabs to 12 inches in depth will be easily triggered by backcountry travelers on steeper slopes above 8500 feet. Dangerous amounts of debris are possible on slopes that have steep, open terrain or run into terrain traps. Deeper, hard slabs lurk in steep, upper elevation areas below cornices and in chutes.