Dangerous conditions exist on steep slopes. Humans who venture onto steep slopes could trigger slab avalanches. Cautious route finding and conservative decisions are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain.
Dangerous slabs up to three feet in depth lie upon weak, faceted snow which formed during the January dry period. The new snow and recent winds have increased the load on these slabs. These slabs could be triggered by humans who venture onto steep slopes.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A disturbance moving south in the northwest flow is forecast to bring another one to three inches of new snow to the mountains overnight. Clearing skies are expected on Friday with temperatures rising into the 20s in the mountains and into the 30s in the valleys. Winds will be northwest at 10 to 20 miles per hour.Instabilities persist in the snowpack in all of our forecast areas and are most prevalent in the Southwest Trails/Greys River area. In steep terrain surface slabs formed by the recent northwest winds and persistent slabs present a significant hazard to backcountry users. Slab avalanches up to four feet in depth could be triggered by humans who venture into avalanche prone terrain. The potential for natural avalanche activity to occur is greatest in the Southwest Trails area but will increase in all areas as air temperatures warm and the sun heats up suspect slopes. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE in the Southwest Trails area and at the upper elevations of the Teton and Continental Divide/Togwotee Pass areas.
