Dangerous avalanche conditions continue in terrain above 8000 feet. Avalanche problems include both wind slabs formed during the past weekend's storm and persistent slabs that involve deep weak layers that were buried on December 11th. These older slabs, if triggered, can be quite large and carry severe consequences. Yesterday, in the southern portion of the Teton area, a snowboarder was caught when an east facing slope at an elevation of 8300' failed near the ground. He was carried down the path and partially buried without injury. Cautious route finding is essential today as the deep problem is widespread and it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict which slopes may or may not fail. The best course of action is to avoid steep avalanche prone terrain. Below 8000 feet, avalanches are unlikely today except in steep isolated terrain features.
Avalanches involving weak faceted snow and crusts that formed in early December could be human triggered today. These slabs are likely to be hard and could have depths to four feet.
Winds that were from the southwest to west during Saturday's storm and from varying directions since have formed slabs on the surface of the snowpack in terrain above 8500 that is prone to wind loading. These soft slabs could be triggered today in steep terrain with depths to eighteen inches.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Tuesday looks to have moderate temperature inversions and partly cloudy skies. Winds are to become northwesterly with averages between fifteen and twenty miles per hour. High temperatures should reach near twenty degrees at the higher elevations. The avalanche danger tomorrow will be similar to today’s with Considerable hazard in the Teton and Southwest trails areas and Moderate hazard in the Togwotee Pass area. Wind slabs and persistent slabs could be human triggered in avalanche terrain above 8000 feet. Although they are becoming less sensitive, in the Southwest Trails and Teton areas a single person could still trigger a large avalanche. Use caution in route selection and exposure as determining where a slab involving old weak layers could fail is very difficult to predict.
