Tetons

Avalanche activity is unlikely this morning as cold temperatures have hardened the upper portion of the snowpack at all elevations. As skies clear today, increasing sunshine, light winds and warming temperatures will cause the snow surface to quickly weaken and the avalanche danger will increase. Human triggered wet slides will become possible at all elevations in very steep terrain and cliff areas. These slides could release as wet slabs(particularly at higher elevations) or as wet loose avalanches and involve significant amounts of snow during their descent. Cornices should be avoided today and be mindful of their potential threat when travelling under them. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully and avoid being in areas prone to wet slides this afternoon.

Expect partly cloudy to mostly clear skies overnight and into Sunday before cloud cover begins to increase later in the day. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid to upper 20s before climbing to near 40 in the afternoon. Valley lows are expected to dip below freezing by the early morning hours before rebounding into the mid 50s in the heat of the day. Southwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 10 to 20 miles per hour.With below freezing temperatures overnight and periods of mostly clear skies enabling radiational cooling, snow surfaces should freeze solidly. This scenario will result in mostly stable conditions and LOW avalanche danger in the morning. As the day progresses, abundant sunshine, light winds and warm temperatures will bring back the chance for shallow wet slides, and the hazard will increase to MODERATE. The likelihood of cornice failures will also increase with daytime warming. Monitor the sun’s effect on the snowpack, and transition to cooler slopes once surface crusts begin to break down.