Tetons

At the mid and upper elevations, backcountry travelers could trigger loose snow sluffs and soft slabs up to 18 inches deep in steep, wind loaded terrain. The potential persists for slides involving older snow to release on slick crusts to depths of three feet. Any extended periods of sunshine in the afternoon will make these slides more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects. Beware of large cornices that have developed over the last several days and avoid terrain below them. At the lower elevations, afternoon warming could bring about the possibility of shallow wet loose slides.

Unsettled weather will continue on Saturday as a large Pacific low pressure system moves onshore and tracks across the Southwestern United States. Convective snow showers, possibly heavy at times, along with periods of sunshine will persist through the day. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid teens, rising into the mid 20s during the day. Southerly ridgetop winds will veer to the northwest at 5 to 15 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard at the higher elevations is expected to be MODERATE on Saturday. Backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of soft slab one to three feet deep in steep, wind loaded avalanche terrain. Any periods of prolonged sunshine will make these slides more susceptible to failure along with increasing the chance of cornice collapses. At the lower elevations, shallow wet slides will become possible as the day warms.