Tetons

The General Avalanche Hazard is MODERATE at Mid and Upper elevations where southwest winds and heavy snowfall over the weekend formed soft slabs up to three feet in depth. Dangerous soft and hard slab avalanches that could involve older snow up to five feet in depth could be triggered today by backcountry users in steep areas that received good wind loading from the storm. Larger triggers like more than one person traversing a slope or highmarking snowmobiles may be necessary to trigger a slide. At the Lower elevations the hazard is LOW as the snow is mostly stable.

Weak to moderate snowfall is forecasted Tuesday night and Wednesday. Six to ten inches of accumulation is expected by Wednesday afternoon in the mountains throughout the region. High temperatures at 9500 feet are expected to be in the teens. Winds along the ridges will be strong from the southwest with 30 to 35 mile per hour averages and gusts in the fifties. Loose snow sloughs are expected to increase Wednesday. As wind and snow continue, the possibility of releasing soft surface slabs on lee slopes will rise and the general avalanche hazard will increase. Slides involving deeper layers of snow will likely require large triggers such as heavy, rapid snow loading or multiple skiers or snowmobiles on steep slopes.