Backcountry riders and skiers have the potential to trigger recently formed soft slabs as well as older and deeper slabs that could be soft or hard. Conservative snow pack and terrain evaluation is recommended.
Buried layers of faceted snow persist within the snowpack. Recently formed slabs lying upon surface hoar could be triggered with depths to 18 inches. Older slabs with depths to five feet could also be triggered. If triggered, these deeper slabs are likely to carry severe consequences.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A new system is to bring snow to the area by sunrise. Snow is to continue to fall through the day. Four to sixes inches is expected by Thursday night. High temperatures are to be warmer with highs in the upper teens to low twenties. Ridgetop winds from the west are to have fifteen to twenty five mile per hour averages. The general avalanche hazard will remain Moderate. Pockets of recently formed wind slabs and older slabs with depths to two feet could be triggered in steep terrain that is either wind loaded or underlain with weak snow or hard crusts. Deeper weaknesses remain in the snowpack. These weaknesses have become unlikely to fail in the Teton and Southwest trails areas. In the Togwotee pass areas they are a greater problem and could still fail to the presence of a single person in high steep avalanche starting zones.
