Tetons

At the upper elevations strong west winds yesterday and last night have added an additional load to existing areas of unstable snow. Today's heavy snowfall and increasing winds will continue to load lee slopes and increase the hazard at all elevations as the day progresses. In the early morning hours humans who venture into steep avalanche starting zones could trigger dense slabs one to three feet in depth at the mid and upper elevations. As the day progresses these slabs will gain depth and volume. Their sensitivity to human triggers and the potential for natural releases will rapidly increase in areas were blowing snow is being deposited.

The back edge of the heaviest snowfall should begin to clear the region from the northwest to the southeast early this evening. Snow showers will continue overnight and bring several inches of additional snow to the Teton Range and Togwotee Pass areas. Greater accumulations will occur in the Salt River and Wyoming Ranges as the band of heavier snowfall associated with the passage of the cold front has yet to impact those areas. Strong west winds will continue to drift snow along the higher ridgelines.On Thursday a splitting trough will track across the area. Snow shower activity is expected to bring three to five inches of new snow to the mountains and one to three inches of new snow to the lower elevations. Temperatures will be in the single digits and teens in the mountains and in the teens and low 20s in the valleys. Winds will be westerly at 20 to 25 with gusts to 35 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE at the higher elevations of the Teton and Greys River/Southwest Trails areas were over a foot of new snow and strong winds will have created dangerous conditions. Humans who venture into steep avalanche paths are likely to trigger slab avalanches two to four feet in depth. Natural avalanche activity is possible overnight. In the Togwotee Pass/Continental Divide area the general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE. Humans who venture into steep avalanche paths could trigger slab avalanches up to three feet in depth.