Tetons

The general avalanche hazard at all elevations this morning is LOW and will quickly rise through MODERATE to CONSIDERABLE by the afternoon. Cool overnight temperatures have temporarily stabilized the snowpack at all elevations. As temperatures rise, along with sunshine, three concerns will be on the increase. At lower elevations, where overnight temperatures barely dipped below freezing, the possibility of point slides and wet slabs to the ground will rapidly increase this morning and throughout the day. With a gain in elevation, new snow sloughing and deeper wet slides will be possible on sunlit aspects, having the potential of entraining dangerous volumes of snow. Finally, pockets of slab could be triggered on shaded aspects in wind loaded starting zones at the upper elevation. Large cornice drops could also act as a trigger for each avalanche scenario.

A brief period of light snow is possible tomorrow ahead of a more significant system that will bring a greater chance of accumulating snow Tuesday night through Wednesday night. Mountain highs Tuesday will be in the mid thirties and valley floor temps will again rise well into the forties which will cause lower elevation precipitation to be in the liquid form. AVALANCHE HAZARD FORECAST FOR THE TETON, TOGWOTEE PASS, AND SOUTHWEST TRAILS AREAS: The General Avalanche Hazard at all elevations will again fall with overnight cooling to LOW but will rise Tuesday to MODERATE with warming and possible rain at lower elevations. Often, very warm snow can sit on a smooth layer (currently , old suncrusts) to the point of heavy saturation and never slide. Amazingly, a single ball of snow from a tree or cliff, or a ski track, can initiate dangerous, wet-loose slides that rapidly grow to great size.