Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

The General Avalanche Hazard is CONSIDERABLE. New snow has added load to a weak snowpack. Surface slabs that lie upon crusts and surface hoar could be easily triggered to depths of three feet in steep wind loaded terrain. Additionally the snowpack is underlain by a very well developed faceted layer to the ground. Large avalanches could be triggered on this layer even after a slope has been ridden or crossed many times.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Snow should be on the increase across the northwest mountains tonight and continue into Thursday. Snow could be heavy at times tonight with 5 to 8 inches possible across the mountains and 2 to 5 inches in the valleys. Another 2 to 4 inches in the mountains and 1 to 2 inches are expected to fall during the day. The general avalanche hazard is expected to increase to CONSIDERABLE with the additional load of this new snow. New soft slabs will form on leeward aspects upon existing surface slabs and are likely to be easily triggered. In the Continental Divide/Togwotee Pass and Southwest Trails/Greys River areas deep slab instabilities persist in addition to surface slab concerns. Dangerous deep slabs to the ground could be triggered on steep slopes that have a well developed basal layer of weak faceted snow.