Strong winds will be loading available snow onto leeward aspects and forming small pockets of wind slab in upper elevation avalanche starting zones. These surface slabs could be triggered by skiers and riders with depths to one foot. The new snow and wind will also be increasing the load on buried instabilities that may persist in some upper elevation active avalanche paths. Large human triggered avalanches remain a possibility in those slide paths. Wet slides are possible on very steep snow covered slopes at the lower elevations.
In isolated areas at the higher elevations layers of weak faceted snow are buried in the snowpack in steep, avalanche-prone slopes that face north through east to south. In those areas snowmobilers could trigger deep hard slab avalanches up to three feet in depth.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Strong winds and areas of snowfall are expected overnight as a storm system passes to our north. Several inches of snowfall are possible before skies begin to clear on Wednesday. Winds will be from the west-southwest at 20 to 30 miles per hour with higher gusts. Temperatures will remain in the 20s at the higher elevations and in the 30s in the valleys.Mostly stable conditions exist with some isolated areas of instability. At the upper elevations recent snow and strong westerly winds will continue to form small pockets of wind slab. Buried weak layers persist in some upper elevation avalanche paths in the Togwotee Pass area and the Wyoming Range. Although the general avalanche hazard is mostly LOW isolated areas of MODERATE hazard persist at the upper elevations.
