Naturally released loose snow sloughs were observed in steep couloirs in Grand Teton National Park yesterday. Those sloughs were small but running fast on hard old snow surfaces. Loose snow sloughs and pockets of wind slab could be human triggered in steep terrain today at the mid and upper elevations. If these events are triggered on steep sustained slopes, they could entrain loose snow and run long distances. These slides could be dangerous in terrain with consequences like steep confined couloirs, cliff areas and slopes above terrain traps. These type and size avalanches are much less threatening in lower angle terrain that is open and free of obstacles and terrain traps.
Wind slab avalanches could be human triggered today in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones. At the upper elevations these slides could be 1 to 2 feet deep. At the mid elevations they could be up to 18 inches deep and could be triggered in isolated terrain features like the starting zones of steep couloirs and chutes.
Skies are expected to clear off after sunset and be mostly sunny on Wednesday. Temperatures will fall into the upper single digits overnight and rise into the 20’s during the day. Winds will be light and back from the northeast through north to the west. Avalanches hazards are limited to small slab avalanches and loose snow sloughs in very steep avalanche prone terrain at the higher elevations. Up there, humans could trigger pockets of soft slab 6 to 18 inches deep. Even small slides can become dangerous in terrain with consequences, like steep confined couloirs, cliff areas and slopes above terrain traps. The general avalanche hazard rating is expected to be moderate at the upper elevation in the Teton forecast area and low everywhere else.
