Tetons

Yesterday, there was a second hand report of an unintentionally skier initiated cornice failure along the ridge above Little Tuckerman’s on Teton Pass. The cornice drop triggered a slide, and the skier was caught and carried, but luckily not buried or injured. At the mid and upper elevations, backcountry travelers could trigger large to very large wind slabs in steep, avalanche-prone terrain. As the day progresses, abundant sunshine and warming temperatures will increase the likelihood of triggering these slides and bring about the chance for shallow wet slides. Warming temperatures will also increase the likelihood of cornice failures along high elevation ridgelines. Snow surfaces froze overnight at the lower elevations, and avalanche activity will be unlikely until surface crusts break down.

A fast moving Pacific trough to the north will brush Western Wyoming Saturday night and into Sunday bringing light snowfall to the region. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the low 20s before rising to near 30 during the day. Valley temperatures are expected to drop just below freezing tonight, but cloud cover will likely prevent a hard freeze. Southerly to southwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 5 to 15 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Sunday. Backcountry travelers entering very steep, wind-loaded terrain above 8,000 feet could trigger recently developed wind slabs one to three feet in depth. These slides will be more likely to occur in terrain where snow surfaces have remained dry. Afternoon sunshine and warm temperatures could increase the likelihood of trigger these slabs later in the day.