Tetons

Unstable slabs up to four feet in depth exist at the mid and upper elevations and lie upon well developed weak layers of buried faceted snow. A single skier or snowmobiler could trigger one of these dangerous slabs especially on steep northerly aspects and in cliff areas. Larger triggers such as closely spaced skiers or multiple snowmachines on the same slope are even more likely to trigger these slabs. These unstable slopes can be crossed multiple times without failure and then release when a subsequent skier or rider hits a hidden trigger point. Caution is advised as the consequences of triggering one of these slabs are severe.

Scattered snow showers are expected to diminish by Friday evening as a transitory ridge of high pressure builds, resulting in clearing skies and colder temperatures on Saturday. An additional inch or two of new snow is possible by the morning. Overnight lows in the mountains are projected to dip into the single digits before rising into the upper teens on Saturday. Northerly ridge crest winds at 5 to 15 mph should back to the West overnight.With little to no new snowfall in the forecast, the General Avalanche Hazard is expected to remain MODERATE on Saturday. On shaded aspects above 7,500 feet in the Tetons, dangerous slabs up to four in depth lie upon well developed weak layers of buried faceted snow, and await the ideal trigger. This trigger could be a single person that encounters a shallow weak zone, or bigger triggers such as snowmobiles or large groups which have sufficient weight to penetrate down to deeper instabilities.In the Greys River and Togwotee areas, similar slabs persist on a variety of aspects. The consequences of initiating such a slide are severe and caution is advised.