Tetons

At the mid and upper elevations strong winds and new snow will rapidly load a snowpack with buried weak layers lying upon excellent sliding surfaces. As the day progresses the potential for slab avalanches up to three feet in depth to be human triggered or release naturally will increase. Safe travel in avalanche terrain today requires conservative decisions, careful route finding and good travel habits. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.

Instability behind the arctic cold front will produce scattered snow showers overnight. Several inches of accumulation are possible at the highest elevations. Skies are expected to slowly clear on Saturday. Temperatures will drop to about 12 below zero overnight and rise to near zero during the day. Winds will veer to the west with gusts to 30 to 40 miles per hour tonight and into Saturday Morning.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE above an elevation of 7,500 feet. Strong southwest and west winds have loaded lee slopes. These new loads have accumulated upon a snowpack that has buried weak layers of faceted snow that lie upon hard crusts. Soft surface slabs up to a foot deep and deeper hard slabs up to three feet in depth could be human triggered in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 7,500 feet where the general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW.