Conditions remain dangerous in the backcountry. Yesterday a snowboarder remotely triggered a 20 inch deep slab avalanche on an east aspect at an elevation of 8,200 feet in the Teton Range. Large slab avalanches released naturally on Sunday night in the Sheep Creek drainage near McDougal Gap. Close calls involving skiers occurred in the Teton Range on Sunday and Monday. These events are failing on persistent weak layers of faceted snow. Large slab avalanches can still be human triggered on a variety of aspects. Due to the size of the recent avalanches and their distribution a cautious approach to avalanche terrain is warranted. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 7,500 feet.
Dangerous deep slab avalanches up to five feet in depth could be human triggered on a variety of aspects above an elevation of 7,500 feet. These slabs could fail due to the weight of a snowmobile or a single skier who encounters a shallow weak zone. These slabs could propagate and run long distances and are likely to carry severe consequences to anyone involved.
Dense wind slabs formed by strong westerly winds could be human triggered to depths of two feet and once triggered could step down and become a large destructive deep slab avalanche.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Skies will continue to be mostly to partly cloudy with some light snowfall in the mountains. Accumulations will generally range from a trace to two inches. Temperatures will be in the teens and 20s. Winds will be from the west-northwest at 20 with gusts to 30 miles per hour.Today’s remotely triggered slide in the Teton Range and widespread natural avalanche activity two evenings ago indicate that a persistent weak layer is still capable of producing dangerous slab avalanches. Due to the size of the recent avalanches and their distribution throughout our terrain a cautious approach to avalanche prone slopes is recommended. Large slab avalanches two to six feet in depth could be triggered by riders or skiers on a variety of aspects. The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain CONSIDERABLE on Wednesday.
