Tetons

Melt-freeze cycles have hardened the snow surface, however instability persists within the snowpack in the form of a buried weak layer of faceted snow which formed during a long dry period between Halloween and Thanksgiving. At the mid and upper elevations DANGEROUS hard slabs up to four feet in depth could be human triggered. Spatial variations in the distribution of this weak layer make it difficult to predict which slopes are unstable. The nature of this instability may allow multiple skiers or riders to cross an unstable slope before it fails. The consequences of triggering one of these hard slabs are severe. At low elevations, avalanches are unlikely in the shallow snowpack.