Avalanche conditions remain dangerous at the mid and upper elevations. Skiers and riders have the potential to trigger small to large wind slabs in steep, wind loaded terrain. Temperatures are starting out between 5 and 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. As the day warms, these slabs will become more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects, and the chance for wet slides will likely develop. Large to very large persistent deep slab avalanches remain a serious concern, and involvement in one of these slides will almost certainly result in another fatality. Don’t let blue skies impair your judgement. Continue to make conservative terrain choices, monitor temperatures and the impact of the sun, and transition to shaded terrain when snow surfaces start to become damp.
On steep, wind loaded slopes above 7,500 feet, backcountry travelers could trigger wind slabs with depths ranging from 1 to 3 feet. The likelihood of triggering these slabs will increase on solar aspects as the new snow is impacted by the sun for the first time. Natural activity cannot be ruled out during the heat of the day.
While persistent weak layers deeply buried in the snowpack are appearing to become dormant, skiers and riders still have some potential to trigger persistent deep slab avalanches failing on these weak layers. Daytime warming may increase the likelihood of triggering these slabs in sunlit terrain. These deadly slabs could also step down from the release of a wind slab. Slab depths are likely to range between 4 and 8 feet above 7,500 feet and 2 to 4 feet below 7,500 feet.
Skies will remain mostly clear as a high-pressure ridge continues to build into the region. Temperatures will be warmer and rise into the 20’s and 30’s in the mountains. Winds will be light at 10 to 15 miles per hour from the west to southwest.In the Togwotee Pass and Greys River areas the snowpack remains unstable. Large to very large avalanches could be easily triggered by humans, especially those on snowmachines, and could release naturally. These dangerous slides could be four to eight feet deep and may be triggered on steep slopes with previous tracks. Although these large and destructive slides could be triggered during the morning hours, sunshine and warming temperatures will be increasing the potential for these slides to be human triggered or release naturally as the days warms The general avalanche hazard is expected to be considerable and increasing in these areas.In the Teton area the potential for deep slab avalanches to occur is not as likely as the other areas. However dangerous deep slab avalanches 4 to 8 feet in depth are still a possibility, especially during the warmest portion of the day. Surface slab avalanches 1 to 3 feet deep could be triggered by skiers and riders on steep avalanche prone slopes in the early morning hours. As the day progresses and conditions get warmer these surfaces slab and wet snow slides will become likely on steep avalanche prone slopes. In Grand Teton National Park large slides could shed off hanging snowfields and overhanging slopes and impact backcountry travelers. The general avalanche hazard in the Tetons is expected to moderate in the early morning hours and increase to considerable. Monitor conditions for increasing hazards and plan to stay off and out from under steep slopes before significant warming occurs.
