Tetons

Over a foot of new snow and southwest winds have created easily triggered soft slabs to two feet in depth on lee slopes at upper and mid elevations. At upper elevations the new snow came in on pockets of slab 12 to 30 inches in depth that rest on weak, faceted snow and crusts on steep northerly aspects. At the mid elevations the new snow rests on 12 to 24 inches of snow sitting on a weak, faceted layer over a crust near the ground, particularly in shaded areas.Backcountry travelers could trigger avalanches that pull out both the new and old snow. At the low elevations very steep areas like road cuts or ravines should be avoided. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential today.

Snowfall is expected to continue tonight before beginning to taper on Saturday. By Saturday evening the mountains of Western Wyoming may see an additional four to eight inches of new snow. Overnight lows in the mountains will dip into the single digits before rising into the teens during the day. Skies will remain overcast to mostly cloudy as westerly to southwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 15 to 25 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE above 9,000 feet on Saturday. Recently developed soft surface slabs up to 18 inches in depth could be triggered by backcountry travelers on steep, wind loaded slopes. Deeper slabs, involving the majority of the snowpack, could initiate on weak, faceted snow near the ground, particularly on shaded slopes that held snow from October. At mid elevations, the hazard is expected be MODERATE. Skiers and riders could trigger soft slabs up to two feet deep in very steep, wind loaded terrain. The general avalanche hazard below an elevation of 7,500 feet is expected to be LOW and avalanche activity is isolated to small, shallow pockets in steep ravines and roadcuts.