Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

In most areas the snow cover is less than six inches deep. The exception is very steep north facing terrain above an elevation of 9,000 feet. In these areas hunters and back country travelers should monitor conditions and avoid very steep terrain if knee deep snow is found.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Periods of snowfall will continue overnight with 2 to 4 inches of new snow in the mountains by Saturday morning. During the day on Saturday, a brief drying trend will commence. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near 20 before rising into the mid-20s during the day. Ridgetop winds will veer to the west-northwest and increase to 35 to 45 miles per hour overnight before dropping to 20 to 25 during the day.The general avalanche hazard in the Tetons is expected to be Low on Saturday between 9,000 and 10,500 feet. Skiers and riders might be able to trigger wind slabs 6 to 18 inches deep on very steep, northerly slopes where hard crusts from October provide potential sliding surfaces. While any avalanche activity is likely to be small, these slides have the potential to cause serious harm if they carry people into exposed rocky areas, over cliff bands or into terrain traps. Normal caution is advised. The hazard is likely higher above 10,500 feet, and the snowpack should be evaluated carefully.Snow depths in the Togwotee Pass area are a foot or less in most areas, and a shallower snowpack exists in the Southwest Trails area. Compared to the Tetons, smaller amounts of snow accumulated in October and the resulting sliding surfaces have a smaller extent. In these forecast zones, hunters and backcountry travelers should monitor conditions and avoid very steep terrain if drifts of knee deep snow are found, particularly if October crusts are present.