Tetons

Today, the wet snow avalanche hazard will increase with the daily warming. Temperatures are about 5 degrees warmer than yesterday and are expected to climb above freezing by the afternoon. Clear skies and below-freezing temperatures overnight formed crusts on the snow’s surface and decreased the avalanche hazard to Low. As warm air and direct sunlight break the crust down, it will be possible for skiers and riders to trigger small wet avalanches on steep slopes and large cornices could fail. Wet slides have the potential to entrain snow and have dense, destructive debris. As the snow surfaces become wet and lose cohesion, they can quickly change from stable to unstable. Backcountry travelers should monitor the wet snow conditions as even a small slide could have severe consequences if a person is swept off a cliff, down a couloir, or into a terrain trap.

Snow is expected with the arrival of spring tomorrow morning. A low-pressure system moving into the northwest coast will slowly migrate through the region. Scattered showers will develop overnight, however the bulk of the of the snow will impact the area during the morning hours and taper off by Sunday morning. Temperatures at the higher elevations will drop into the 20s tonight. Colder air moving into the region will keep those upper elevation temperatures in the 20’s during the day. At the lower elevations rain showers will transition to a mix before changing over to all snow. Snowfall totals by Sunday morning are expected to be 6 to 12 inches in the Tetons, 3 to 6 inches on Togwotee Pass and in the Salt River and Wyoming Ranges. Valley locations may receive 2 to 4 inches of heavy wet snow. Southwest winds will be strong with gusts to 40 miles per hour before they veer to the northwest sometime before noon. Strong winds from the southwest veering to the northwest after the passage of a cold front will be forming new soft slabs on leeward aspects. These wind slabs are expected to build to depths of 6 to 18 inches. Humans who venture into steep wind-loaded avalanche starting zones could trigger small to large slab avalanches. The dry snow avalanche hazard is expected to be low in most areas and increasing. In the most favored areas, like the higher elevations of the Teton Range, that hazard will likely increase to moderate. Cloud cover and cooling temperatures are expected to decrease the wet snow avalanche hazard. Rain showers at the lower elevations could delay this transition. If the snow is wet and lacks cohesion, avoid steep slopes. Monitor conditions for both increasing dry snow avalanche hazards and lingering wet snow avalanche hazards and adjust travel plans accordingly.