Tetons

At the mid and upper elevations, the possibility persists for backcountry travelers to trigger hard slab avalanches to the base of the snowpack in steep avalanche terrain. These slabs may fail after a slope has been crossed several times if a shallow weak zone is encountered. Larger loads, such as snowmobiles or groups of skiers, have a greater potential to cause failure of these weaknesses. Yesterday, a skier remotely triggered an 18 inch soft slab on a northeast facing aspect in Christmas tree bowl on Teton Pass. Similar surface slides, along with loose snow sluffs, are also possible today. Any extended periods of sunshine will increase the likelihood of these slides. At the lower elevations the avalanche hazard is limited to isolated pockets in very steep terrain.

Temperatures will continue to cool with overnight lows in the mountains in the single digits. Mondays high will be in the upper teens. Skies will be mostly clear and ridgetop winds will continue to range from 5 to 15 miles per hour out of the northeast.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE in the Teton and Togwotee Pass areas, and CONSIDERABLE in the Greys River area where the snowpack remains more sensitive. In steep avalanche terrain, the possibility persists for backcountry riders and skiers to trigger hard slab avalanches to the base of the snowpack. These slabs may fail after a slope has been crossed several times if a shallow weak zone is encountered. Larger loads, such as snowmobiles or groups of skiers, have a greater potential to cause failure of these weaknesses. In steep terrain, loose snow sluffs and pockets of soft slabs to a foot in depth could also be triggered. These slides will become more susceptible to failure as the day warms.