Tetons

This morning, a mostly stable snowpack in the Tetons is topped with a few inches of new snow at the higher elevations that has adhered well to old surfaces. As skies clear and temperatures rise today, the surface of the snowpack will soften and wet slides will become possible. These slides will likely involve just new snow at the higher elevations and deeper snow at the lower elevations where warm temperatures have consistently penetrated the snowpack. Roof slides continue to pose a threat, particularly this afternoon and early evening.

Tuesday looks to be mostly dry with a slight chance for isolated flurries in the morning hours. As skies partially clear, south-southwest winds are to increase to averages between ten and fifteen miles per hour. High temperatures are to increase to highs in the low thirties at 10,000 feet and to near fifty at the base. The avalanche danger will increase from Low to Moderate in the Tetons where a mostly stable snowpack will be weakened by sunshine and warm temperatures in the afternoon, allowing for the chance of wet slides. This weakening will depend largely on where prolonged periods of sunshine occur. In the Togwotee Pass and Southwest Trails areas, a similar chance for wet slides in the afternoon also accompanies a slight chance that large triggers such as snow machines or falling cornices cause a large avalanche to occur deep in the snowpack involving old weak snow layers. The last such event occurred on Lava Mountain on March 18th when a large slide with a six foot crown was triggered by a falling cornice.