At the mid and upper elevations the avalanche hazard is rapidly increasing as strong west to northwest winds and new snow create new wind slabs on leeward aspects. In steep terrain these slabs are expected to be very sensitive to human triggers and could release naturally. Excellent terrain evaluation skills and a conservative decisions are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain today. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.
Strong west winds have created new soft slabs up to two feet deep on leeward aspects. These slabs are likely to be easily triggered by skier or riders and could release naturally.
At the higher elevations some potential may remain for humans to trigger deep slabs up to four feet in depth that fail upon a persistent weak layer of faceted surface hoar and crust near the base of the snowack
The northwest flow with limited moisture will continue to move over the region Saturday night and Sunday. Skies will be partly cloudy with only a trace of snow expected by Sunday morning. Winds will be light from the northwest and temperatures will rise from just below zero in the morning to the single digits above during the day.At mid and upper elevations backcountry travelers have the potential to trigger soft slab avalanches to three feet in depth that involve snow from the past few storms. The avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate. Settlement and cold temperatures may make slides more difficult to trigger but with early season conditions getting caught in a small slide can be dangerous. Be alert to rocks, trees and terrain traps in run-out zones.In the Continental Divide/Togwotee Pass and Southwest Trails/Greys River areas the snow is shallower. In addition to the risk of triggering soft slabs of the new snow, weak, faceted snow at the base of the snowpack in those areas holds the potential for users to trigger full depth, hard slab avalanches on steep slopes at higher elevations.
