Light snow that has been slowly accumulating since Saturday lies upon firm old snow surfaces and surface hoar. This recently fallen snow could be triggered by skiers or riders in very steep terrain as loose snow sluffs or as pockets of soft slab to a foot in depth. At higher elevations on northerly aspects, hard slab avalanches could be triggered by the weight of a single person.
In steep north facing terrain above 9,000 feet, the chance continues to trigger hard slab avalanches with depths up to three feet deep in areas underlain by weak faceted snow.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Periods of light to moderate snowfall are expected through the daylight hours Saturday before a much more significant snow and wind event impacts the area Saturday night through Monday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for this period. Saturdays high temperatures are again to reach the upper teens with southwest winds of ten to twenty miles per hour. The general avalanche hazard will be Moderate above 9000 feet. The recently fallen and new snow could be triggered as loose snow sloughs or very soft slabs in steep terrain with depths to eighteen inches. In the Togwotee Pass area the possibility also continues to trigger deeper hard slabs to three feet in steep north facing terrain. Below 9000 the hazard will be Low, however smaller sloughs or shallow surface slabs could be triggered in isolated areas.
