Tetons

In the mountains since early yesterday morning, four to six inches of dense, wet snow has accumulated on frozen older snow forming shallow pockets of soft slab near ridgecrests. As yesterday warmed, the rain/snow line rose to around 8,500 feet and shallow wet loose slides involving only the new snow were easily triggered in very steep terrain. Overnight temperatures in the low to mid 20s have temporarily stabilized the snowpack. At the mid and upper elevations, the general avalanche hazard is LOW early this morning and will quickly rise to MODERATE as snow surfaces soften. There, backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of soft slab up to a foot in depth along with shallow wet loose slides in very steep terrain. If significant warming occurs and the new snow becomes saturated, either through rain or brief periods of sunshine, the general avalanche hazard could rise to CONSIDERABLE with wet loose slides and deeper wet slabs releasing naturally. Limited terrain is snow covered at the lower elevations. This forecast does not extend to terrain above an elevation of 10,500 feet.