Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Sunshine and warm temperatures will be increasing the hazard today. Stiff wind slabs could be human triggered in steep avalanche prone terrain at the mid and upper elevations. Wet slides are possible at the lower elevations and on sunlit aspects at the mid and upper elevations elevations. Some potential could develop for deeper, dense slabs to be human triggered, especially by snowmobilers during the warmest portion of the day. Yesterday afternoon a wet slide hit a snowmobiler on the Grays River Road east of Alpine and pushed her into the river. She was not injured. This event occurred on a steep, south facing slope at an elevation of around than 6,300 feet.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )High pressure will control the weather. This pattern will bring dry conditions and lead to warming temperatures. Skies will be mostly sunny on Monday. Northwest winds will continue but slowly decrease. Overnight temperatures will be in the mid-teens. Daytime highs will rise to near 30 degrees at all elevations. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE at all elevations. At the mid and upper elevations pockets of hard and soft wind slab one to two feet in depth could be human triggered in steep avalanche starting zones, steep couloirs and cliff areas. Wet slides are possible on steep sunlit aspects especially at the lower elevations. Deeper hard slabs, two to five feet in depth, could be human triggered in avalanche terrain in the Togwotee Pass area. Abundant sunshine and warm temperatures will increase the hazard as the day progresses. Deep slabs are not likely in the Grays River and the Teton areas, however this snowpack has not yet been subjected to the warming that will occur tomorrow and caution is advised.