At the mid and high elevations, the possibility continues for skiers or riders to trigger large deep slab avalanches. These slabs could require larger triggers to initiate such as snow machines or groups of skiers, however a single person could still cause failure by hitting a particularly weak shallow spot on a slope. The chance also exists to trigger recently fallen light snow in isolated areas as shallow wind slabs near ridge-lines or as loose sloughs in very steep terrain. Avalanches below 7500 are not expected today except for on small isolated features. Careful snowpack and terrain assessment is advised.
The possibility continues to trigger deep slab avalanches involving weak snow formed in early December that lies upon hard November crusts. Failure could occur even after a slope has been tracked several times. These slabs could propagate long distances, have depths to five feet, and are likely to carry severe consequences to anyone involved.
Light snow showers will linger overnight before steadier snowfall develops on Saturday as an upper level trough moves into the region. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the upper single digits before rising to near 20 in the afternoon. Southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds will increase to 20 to 30 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain MODERATE on Saturday. With increasing winds, new snow and ample snow available for transport, skiers and riders could trigger newly and recently developed wind slabs in steep, leeward terrain in the Tetons. These slabs could fail on density breaks within the recent snowfall, on sun crusts or down to the layer of surface hoar buried on January 19th. Persistent deep slabs with depths up to five feet continue to pose a threat to backcountry travelers in all forecast zones. Large triggers, such as snowmobiles, are more likely to be able to impact the deeply buried weak layer. However, the weight of a single person could cause failure of this weak layer if a shallow trigger point is encountered. These dangerous slabs could also step down from the release of a smaller wind slab. As new snow continues through the day, the hazard will slowly increase. Monitor weather conditions, and avoid steep, wind loaded slopes.
