At the mid and upper elevations, backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of recently developed wind slab in steep, wind-loaded terrain. On sunlit aspects, these slabs may become more likely to fail as the day warms. As the day progresses, shallow wet slides involving the new snow will also become possible at the lower elevations where temperatures will rise above freezing.
Strong westerly to northwesterly ridgetop winds on Monday created wind slabs in exposed terrain at the mid and upper elevations. Skiers and riders could trigger these slabs with depths of six to eighteen inches on a variety of aspects.
Skies will be mostly clear Wednesday night and into Thursday before cloud cover increases later in the day. Overnight lows at all elevations will be in the mid teens. During the day, mountain temperatures will reach into the upper 20s as the valleys increase to near 40. Westerly ridgetop winds will range from 25 to 35 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Thursday. Backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of wind slab six to eighteen inches deep in steep, wind-loaded terrain. The likelihood of triggering these slabs may increase on sunlit aspects as the day warms. In isolated areas of the Togwotee Pass and Greys River forecast zones, some potential may remain for skiers and riders to trigger hard slab avalanches failing on faceted snow deep within the snowpack. Large triggers like snowmobiles, especially multiple snowmobiles on the same slope, are more likely to trigger these dangerous slabs, which could have depths in excess of six feet. As the day progresses, shallow wet slides involving the new snow will also become possible at the lower elevations where temperatures will rise well above freezing.
