Backcountry travelers could trigger wind slabs that were formed during the past weekend's storm. Above 8000 feet watch for terrain features where recent loading has occurred. Pockets of instability are most likely to be found in steep avalanche starting zones below cornices, in steep chutes and on steep rollovers. At lower elevations, avalanches are less likely but still possible. Watch for isolated terrain features that were loaded by recent winds and are very steep. Remember that even small avalanches can seriously injure people or bury them in terrain traps. Today's sunshine and rising temperatures may increase the avalanche hazard on steep sunlit aspects. Monitor conditions for increasing hazard from this warm up and move off of and out from under steep slopes if warming conditions are significantly impacting the stability of the snowpack
Soft slab avalanches could be triggered by backcountry travelers in steep terrain that were wind-loaded by the most recent storm. These slabs could be up to three feet deep. At the lower elevations, slabs could be triggered on isolated terrain features. Today's sunshine and rising temperatures may to increase the sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )The weather will be dry with a building temperature inversion. At the upper elevations temperatures will drop to around zero overnight and rise into the low 20’s during the day. In the coldest valley locations temperatures will into the negative teens overnight and rise into the 20’s during the day. Winds will stay light at 5 to 15 miles per hour and back from the northwest to the southwest.At the higher elevations wind slabs can still be triggered by skiers and snowmobilers in steep avalanche prone terrain. These slabs are generally expected to be one to three feet deep. However today a skier triggered a four, foot deep slide on faceted snow in a slide path on Beaver mountain that had previously slide. Slab avalanches could be human triggered on isolated terrain features at the lower elevations. Sunshine and warmer temperatures are likely to increase the sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers. Monitor conditions for increasing hazard on steep sunlit aspects during the warmest portion of the day. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be moderate at the higher elevations. The hazard is expected to be low below an elevation of 9,000 feet in the Teton area, 8,500 feet in the Greys River area and 8,000 feet in the Togwotee Pass area.
