At the mid and high elevations, recent snow and wind have formed surface slabs on a variety of snow surfaces that will be sensitive to backcountry riders and skiers. The possibility also exists for failure to occur deeper in the snowpack on persistent weak layers. If triggered these deeper slabs will be large to very large and are likely to carry severe consequences to anyone involved. These dangers will increase this afternoon as the next system brings new snow and wind to western Wyoming. Avalanches below 7500 feet are unlikely today except in isolated pockets. Conservative decision making and an understanding of the snowpack is essential to safe backcountry travel today.
Dangerous deep slab avalanches 2 to 5 feet in depth could be human triggered on distinct persistent weak layers that were buried in mid-January and December. New loading will further increase the sensitivity of these slabs and failure could occur today to the weight of a single person or to the movement of a surface slab
Above 7500 feet, backcountry travelers have the potential to trigger soft surface in areas prone to wind loading with depths to two feet.
Light snow showers will linger overnight and into Saturday before northwesterly flow aloft brings a stronger system to the area later in the day. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the single digits before climbing into the upper teens in the afternoon. Southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds will range from 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts to 50.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE above 7,500 feet. In the morning, skiers and riders could trigger wind slabs ranging in depth from one to two feet in steep, wind-loaded terrain. With strong winds and new snow, the depth, volume and likelihood of triggering these slabs will all be on the rise as the day progresses, and natural activity will be possible. The increasing snow load will also raise the likelihood of triggering persistent deep slab avalanches. These dangerous slabs could exceed five feet in depth if failure occurs on faceted snow that formed during the December drought period. Safe travel will demand a conservative approach to terrain management on Saturday. Below 7,500 feet, backcountry travelers might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of shallow wind slab on very steep, wind-loaded slopes.
