Dangerous avalanche conditions exist at the mid and upper elevations, and human triggered avalanches are likely. Yesterday, a skier remotely triggered a 15 inch surface slab on the south side of Teton Pass. This avalanche released on a southeast aspect around 8,500 feet. Similar slides are likely today. Cautious route finding and conservative decision making are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain. With shallow snow depths and frozen conditions, avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.
Persistent slabs with depths up to three feet lie upon weak, faceted snow. In many areas, this fragile snowpack is further complicated by crust layers. Backcountry travelers could easily trigger these slabs on a variety of aspects. These sensitive slabs could also release on approach and propagate long distances across terrain boundaries.
The chance for new snow will increase later in the day on Sunday as a moist, Pacific weather system begins to move into the region. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near 10 degrees before rising into the mid-20s during the day. Westerly ridgetop winds will back to the southwest and increase to 15 to 25 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain CONSIDERABLE on Sunday. Backcountry travelers could trigger recently developed persistent slabs up to three feet deep on a variety of aspects in avalanche terrain above 7,500 feet. Careful snowpack evaluation and conservative decision making will be essential for safe travel on Sunday. Take note if you are hearing whumpfing or seeing shooting cracks; this is a very good indicator of unstable snow beneath you.
