Winds slabs exist at the higher elevations and could be human triggered on steep slopes that are undelain by snow that persists from storms that impacted the area in late Septemebr and early October. Yesterday a skier triggered a 30 inch deep soft slab avalanche on a steep northeast aspect of Breccia Peak near Togwotee Pass. This person was caught, carried and injured but not buried. Similar events are possible today. Abundant sunshine and warm temperatures may also cause loose snow slides on steep sunlit aspects.
At the upper elevations pockets of wind slab up to two feet in depth could be triggered on steep wind loaded slopes that are underlain by old snow layers. These slabs will become increasingly sensitive to human triggers as temperatures rise.
Periods of light snowfall are expected to develop in the mountains before daybreak and continue through the day. Accumulations of several inches are possible at the higher elevations. Temperatures in the mountains will be in the teens and 20s. Winds will be west-southwest at 15 to 20 with gusts to 30 miles per hour.Some instability persist at the interface between the recent snow and buried old snow surfaces on steep northerly aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet. At the upper elevations humans who venture into very steep avalanche starting zones could trigger pockets of surface slab up to two feet in depth. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 9,000 feet and on southerly aspects at the upper elevations. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE at the upper elevations and LOW below an elevation of 9,000 feet.
