Four days of strong west to west-southwest winds and up to 20 inches of new snow with two inches of moisture have created dense wind slabs on leeward aspects. These slabs could be human triggered on steep avalanche prone slopes, especially in areas where this new snow accumulated on top of well developed surface hoar. Warm temperatures will be increasing the hazard as the day progresses and could cause the natural release of these dangerous slides and or cause wet slide activity on steep sunlit aspects.
Dense wind slabs up to three feet in depth could be human triggered in steep active avalanche paths and may potential release naturally, especially during the warmest portion of the day. These dangerous slides could run long distances and entrain wet snow in the their runout zones.
Wet slides are possible on steep slopes, road cuts, steep banks and in the lower portions of large avalanche paths.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Generally dry and warm conditions are expected on Wednesday. Skies are anticipated to be partly cloudy. Temperatures will drop into the 20s overnight and rise into the upper 30s during the day. Winds will relax to around 15 miles per hour with gusts to 30 and back towards the south-southwest.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE in the Togwotee Pass/Continental Divide, Southwest Trails/Greys River areas the higher elevations of the Teton area. Dense surface slabs one to two feet in depth could be human triggered in all of these areas. These slabs are likely to be deeper and larger in the Greys River area where more snow accumulated during the past several days. In the Togwotee Pass area, older persistent slabs one to three feet in depth, could also be triggered by humans at the higher elevations in active avalanche paths that face north through east to south. Warm afternoon temperatures will increase the hazard in all areas and create the potential for wet slide activity on steep sunlit slopes at the lower elevations.
