The chance continues to trigger slab avalanches in steep shaded terrain where they are underlain by surface hoar and crusts formed in October. Avalanches are not likely in the shallow to non existent snowpack at the mid and low elevations.
In isolated areas on northerly to easterly aspects, pockets of slab to two foot depths remain susceptible to human triggering. These slabs lie upon crusts and weak snow near the base of the snowpack and are most likely to be found in very steep rocky areas that experienced significant wind loading during recent storms.
The first in a series of systems is to hit the area Friday bringing four to eight inches of snow by Saturday. Mountain temperatures are expected to remain in the mid to upper twenties which will result in dense snow in the mountains and rain or a mix of rain and snow in the valleys. Winds are to be southwesterly with twenty to thirty mile per hour averages. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate in the Teton area and Low in the Togwotee Pass and Greys River areas. Above 8500 feet human triggered slab avalanches remain possible in very steep terrain in isolated areas. These slabs are likely to be small relative to path size and could have depths to two feet. Caution is advised as sensitive areas are very hard to predict at this time as many slopes will not fail. Slabs could become more sensitive later in the day as wind and heavy snow add additional loads to the snowpack.
