Two days of dry, warm weather following significant but consistent loading through the month of February has resulted in snowpack that has gained some strength. Weaknesses persist and skiers and riders still have the potential to trigger slab avalanches. These could be in the form of recently formed wind slabs or in deeper hard slabs that are much more difficult to predict.
Strong west to northwest winds have formed soft wind slabs on leeward slopes at all elevations. These slabs could be triggered with depths up to 18 inches. These slabs are most likely to be encountered in exposed terrain near ridgelines where the most heavy wind loading has occurred. Failure of these wind slabs could step down to deeper weaknesses in the snowpack.
Weak layers of faceted snow persist deep within the snowpack. Failure of these layers will produce very large hard slab avalanches with depths up to five feet. The consequences of being caught could involve serious injury or death.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Another storm is on track to impact the area late on Thursday. During the day, expect increasing clouds and developing snow showers. Snow may be mixed with rain at the lower elevations. High temperatures in the mountains are to be in the upper twenties. West winds are to have average speeds near twenty miles per hour in the morning, increasing to thirty miles per hour by the afternoon.The general avalanche hazard will be Moderate in the Teton and Southwest Trails areas. In the Tetons, wind slabs could be triggered with depths to three feet in very steep and aggressive terrain. Similar events could also be triggered in the Southwest Trails area where the chance also continues for larger loads such as snowmachines to trigger old dangerous hard slabs with depths to six feet. In the Togwotee Pass area, the hazard remains Considerable. Avalanches will be easier to trigger in a shallower snowpack that developed very poor structure during dry periods early in the season. Human triggered avalanches to five feet are possible on a variety of aspects.
