Tetons

At 5 am air temperatures are 5 to 10 degrees warmer at the mid and upper elevations and 15 degrees warmer at the lower elevations then they were at 5 am yesterday morning. At the highest elevations strong northeast winds have redistributed dry snow from shaded aspects and may have formed some isolated pockets of stiff, wind slab on leeward aspects. At all elevations air temperatures will rise above freezing and increase the wet snow hazard. Wet slides are possible on steep slopes during the warmest portion of the day. Even small slides can sweep backcountry travelers over cliffs, carry them down very steep sustained couloirs or bury then in terrain traps. Monitor conditions for increasing hazard and avoid steep terrain after snow surfaces become soft and unconsolidated.

Skies will be mostly clear though Monday. Temperatures will drop into the upper teens to low 20’s overnight and rise into the 30’s during the day. Light winds will be backing from the north and east to the west and north. A lack of storms and repeated melt freeze cycles have created a mostly stable snowpack. Snow surfaces will be frozen in the morning and soften during the day. In all areas the wet snow avalanche hazard will increase during the warmest portion of the day. The general avalanche hazard is expected to low in the Teton area. In the Greys River and Togwotee Pass areas, deep persistent slab avalanches that could be triggered by snowmobilers are unlikely but cannot be totally ruled out. The general avalanche hazard in those areas is expected to be moderate.