Skiers and riders have the potential to trigger soft wind slabs in avalanche starting zones and cliff areas above an elevation of 9,000 feet. Some potential may also persist for snowmobilers to trigger deep hard slabs in steep avalanche prone terrain. The snowpack is mostly stable below an elevation of 9,000 feet.
Pockets of wind slab could be human triggered today. Theses slabs could be shallow involving just new snow or they could involve snow that fell last week with depths to two feet. These slabs lie in steep upper elevation starting zones and could increase in size and sensitivity as they are further loaded by new snowfall today.
Weak layers of faceted snow persist in the snowpack. At the upper elevations some potential may remain for snowmobilers to trigger hard slab avalanches with depths to four feet in steep, avalanche-prone slopes.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Periods of snow will occur tonight and on Monday. The first round of snow will move into the region overnight with several inches of accumulations possible at the higher elevations by daybreak. There may be a decrease in the snowfall intensity or a break in the snowfall during the day. Temperatures will be in the 20s in the mountains and in the 20s and 30s in the valleys. Winds will be southwest at 10 to 20 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE at the upper elevations in all of our forecasts zones where humans could trigger soft slab avalanches on steep wind loaded avalanche prone slopes. In the Togwotee Pass/Continental Divide forecast area some potential may persist for snowmobilers to trigger deeper hard slabs in isolated areas. The hazard is expected to be LOW below an elevation of 9,000 feet in all of our forecast areas.
