At the mid and high elevations today, riders and skiers could trigger wind slabs in steep avalanche terrain and also have some potential to trigger large, dangerous hard slabs. The likelihood to trigger either of these events will greatly increase as sunlight and warming weaken these slabs. At all elevations, small wet slides are possible this afternoon.
Recently formed soft slabs to two foot depths lie in steep leeward slopes. These slabs could be human triggered today and have some potential to step down another foot or two to older wind slabs or trigger a very dangerous deep hard slab in isolated areas. The chance of triggering these surface slabs will increase today.
Some potential may remain for humans, especially those on snowmobiles, to trigger dangerous hard slabs with depths to eight feet in isolated areas. Predicting failure on these layers is extremely difficult and could occur after a slope has been tracked several times.
High pressure is to continue with slightly warmer conditions expected on Thursday. A minor temperature inversion is also likely to develop. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate in the Tetons and Considerable in the Southwest Trail and Togwotee Pass areas. Recently formed wind slabs to two feet could be triggered in very steep terrain above 8000 feet and deep hard slabs that lie upon persistent weak snow layers could also be triggered with depths to eight feet. These deep instabilities are more prevalent and more likely to fail in the Togwotee Pass and Southwest Trails areas where the rating is higher. The chance to trigger avalanches will increase during the afternoon as sunlight and warming add stresses to the snowpack and weaken the surface slabs.
