Tetons

At the mid and upper elevations, backcountry travelers could trigger recently developed wind slabs one to two feet in depth in very steep, wind loaded terrain. These slides might step down into older snow up to an additional three feet. Any extended periods of sunshine will make these slides more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects as the day warms. Moderate hazard is not a green light; getting caught in a slide that involves older snow is likely to have severe consequences and caution is advised. At the lower elevations, avalanches are unlikely except in very steep, wind loaded terrain where skiers or riders might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of shallow wind slab.

A Pacific storm system will brush the region to south on Tuesday and could bring an additional 5 to 10 inches of new snow by Tuesday evening. Westerly ridgetop winds will be light overnight before increasing during the day. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the low teens before rising to near 20 in the afternoon.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE Tuesday morning and will increase during the day as new snow and increasing winds created new soft slabs and add weight to existing instabilities. Backcountry travelers could trigger recently developed wind slabs one to two feet in depth in very steep, wind loaded terrain. These slides might step down into older snow up to an additional three feet. Today's tragic event illustrates the potential consequences of getting caught in one of these slides and caution remains warranted.