Togwotee Pass

The general avalanche hazard is MODERATE this morning and will increase during the day as new snow and increasing westerly winds create new soft slabs and add weight to existing instabilities. Yesterday, a snowmobiler perished after triggering a medium sized slide while highmarking on Grouse Mountain. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of the victim. This slide released below a cornice on a steep, east facing slope at an elevation of 9,680 feet. The avalanche had a crown depth of 30 inches, was 400 yards wide, ran 300 yards and created a deposition zone up to 15 feet. Similar slides remain possible today, and some potential persists for them to step down an additional two feet. Yesterday’s tragic event illustrates the potential consequences of getting caught in one of these slides and caution remains warranted.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )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.