Tetons

Overnight temperatures at the middle elevations were just above freezing while those at higher and lower elevations just dropped to the upper twenties. This morning the avalanche hazard will start as Low given a hard but thin surface crust that will make avalanche activity very unlikely. The hazard will quickly rise at the mid and high elevations to Moderate as the crust and the underlying snowpack are weakened by sunlight and very warm temperatures. The the chance for wet slides will develop. This activity could be in the form of wet loose slides in steep terrain or as wet slabs in higher terrain that had previous wind loading.

A moist but stable westerly flow will bring limited rain and snow showers and windy conditions to the region. Temperatures are expected to approach freezing overnight under overcast skies. On Sunday, temperatures will rise into the mid-40s at 10,500 feet and into the 50s in the valleys. Skies will be overcast with a chance of rain and snow showers in the mountains. Winds will be west-southwest at 20 to 30 with gusts to near 50 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on steep snow covered slopes due to the wet snow avalanche hazard. Wet loose slides are possible on steep slopes especially in areas where the snow is isothermal. Wet slab avalanches may be a potential hazard in steep terrain at the higher elevations where weak layers of faceted snow persist deep in the snowpack. These conditions warrant a cautious approach to steep terrain, especially after snow surfaces soften.