Areas of unstable snow persist. Yesterday skiers remotely triggered a one foot deep slab avalanche from KB Ridge south of Teton Pass in the Wolf Trap starting zone. This event occurred in the area where another slide was triggered three days earlier. Strong northeast winds developed before midnight and will be redistributing available snow. At the mid and upper elevations poor snow structure continues to be a concern on some slopes. Human triggered slab avalanches that could fail on buried layers of faceted snow remain a possibility. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.
Persistent slabs one to three in depth lie upon a base of weak, faceted snow. These dangerous slabs could be triggered by the weight of a single person and could propagate across terrain boundaries.
Western Wyoming is currently sitting between two weather systems. A strong low pressure system that is moving east into the high plains and an approaching Alberta Clipper type weather system. This system will bring clouds and some light snowfall to the region on Wednesday and Wednesday evening. Total new snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches are likely from this system by Thursday morning. This system will favor the northern portion of our forecast areas. Temperatures will remain in the single digits and teens. Winds will be mostly from the west at 15 to 20 miles per hour with higher gusts.Our snowpack remains unstable as it struggles to adjust to the recent load. It is most sensitive to human triggers in the Togwotee Pass and Greys River area however the weight of a single person could trigger a large slide in the Teton area. The problem is weak layers of faceted snow beneath the recent new snow. Collapses and cracking are indicative of this instability and a warning to avoid steep terrain. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE in the Togwotee Pass and Greys River area and MODERATE in the Teton area. A conservative selection of terrain is essential in all areas.
