The first sunny day over an extended period will provide the ability for backcountry enthusiasts to get into avalanche terrain that has not seen traffic in many days. Restraint is advised as recently formed wind slabs and deeper old hard slabs lie in steep avalanche terrain. These slabs could be triggered by riders and skiers today, particularly in the afternoon when warming and direct sunlight weaken them and they become more susceptible to human triggers.
Strong west to northwest winds have formed wind slabs on leeward slopes at all elevations. These slabs could be triggered with depths up to three feet and once triggered could pull out deeper layers of old snow. The liklihood of triggering these slabs will increase this afternoon.
Weak layers of faceted snow persist deep within the snowpack. Failure of these layers will produce very large avalanches with depths up to six feet. They could be triggered directly by backcountry travelers or step down from surface slabs. These large slides are likely to carry severe consequences.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A dry day is forecast for Wednesday. Cold air with move in overnight and temperatures in the single digits could be present by sunrise. High temperatures could reach the mid to upper twenties in the mountains with warmer conditions expected in the valleys. Winds are to be Northwesterly with averages of five to fifteen miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate in the Teton area where wind slabs to depths of three feet could be triggered in steep avalanche terrain above 8000 feet and isolated pockets to a foot could be triggered below that elevation. In the Togwotee Pass area and the Southwest Trails area the hazard will be Considerable. In these areas, a similar chance to trigger wind slabs is also present. Additionally, deep weaknesses in the snowpack remain susceptible to human triggers. If triggered these large and dangerous hard slab avalanches could have depths to five feet in the Togwotee Pass area and to six feet in the Southwest Trails area.
