Tetons

At the upper elevations three days of strong northwest winds have formed surface slabs up to four feet in depth. At the mid and upper elevations deep slab instabilities persist. Yesterday several slabs 18 inches to four feet in depth were triggered with explosives on the North Ridge, an unskied upper elevation area of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. On the east face of Buck Mountain a large slab 6 to 9 feet in depth was reported to have released naturally sometime before Friday morning. Slab avalanches could be triggered by humans today especially as temperatures warm on steep wind loaded southeast, east and northerly aspects. High markers and skiers could cross these slabs multiple times before a weak spot fails and initiates an avalanche. At the lower elevations avalanches are unlikely.