Up to 10 inches of new snow has fallen since Saturday. This new snow lies upon buried surface hoar and slick old snow surfaces. Loose snow slides involving this new snow and small, isolated pockets of new soft slab up to one foot in depth could be triggered by skiers and riders in steep terrain. These small slides could become a danger in cliff areas, above terrain traps and can produce sizable debris piles at the base of steep sustained pitches and couloirs. Hard slab avalanches persist on steep northerly aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet and could be triggered by the weight of a single person.
Skiers and riders venturing onto steep, north facing slopes above 9,000 feet could trigger hard slab avalanches with crown depths to three feet. Suspect locations are steep, rocky slopes where faceted snow persists at the base of the snowpack.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Our area will be on the western fringe of a winter storm that is impacting areas to the east of the Continental Divide. Some light snowfall is possible overnight and could result in another inch or two of accumulation. On Monday the snow will taper off as skies begin to clear. Temperatures in the mountains will drop into the teens tonight and rise into the 20s on Monday. Winds will back towards the southwest and be light at 5 to 10 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain LOW in the Teton and Greys River areas and in the Togwotee Pass area below an elevation of 9,000 feet. Loose snow sluffs are possible on very steep slopes and could entrain significant volumes of snow on long, steep sustained pitches. Small pockets of shallow soft slab, less than a foot deep, may form in isolated areas along the highest ridge lines. In the Togwotee Pass area the avalanche hazard at the upper elevations will be MODERATE. Human triggered hard slab avalanches with depths to three feet are possible in steep, rocky terrain that faces north above an elevation of 9,000 feet.
