Tetons

Warming temperatures, strong west-southwest winds, new snow (40 inches with 3 inches of moisture since Sunday), a persistant weak layer of buried faceted snow and slick old snow surfaces have created unstable conditions on a variety of aspects at all elevations. Yesterday a skier triggered a slide on a northerly aspect below the free fall wall area of Granite Canyon at an elevation of about 7,500 feet. The skier was completely buried except for one hand. He was rescued by companions. With new snow in the forecast increasing the load on the snowpack similar events are likely to be triggered today by humans who venture into avalanche terrain.