Tetons

The General Avalanche Hazard is MODERATE at Mid and Upper elevations in the morning increasing to CONSIDERABLE by afternoon. Sunshine and little wind will heat the snowpack rapidly today increasing the chance for wet, loose surface slides on sunlit slopes. Sunlit slopes include Notheast to Northwest aspects this time of year. Yesterday a skier was knocked down but not injured by a wet loose slide in the "Northwest Passage" area of Granite Canyon at Mid elevation (despite the name, the area faces Northeast.) Slides may be started by natural sloughs off rocky areas, cornices or backcountry travellers. Another concern is surface slabs to two feet in depth that could be released in steep pockets that have seen little traffic on Northerly aspects. The Hazard is LOW at Lower elevations increasing to MODERATE by afternoon. Areas with sufficient snow present the hazard of wet, loose slides. Stay away from steep ravines and road cuts.

A system is expected to bring snow to the area Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon. Cooler temperatures are expected in the morning with afternoon highs expected to reach the upper twenties. Southwest to West winds are expected at 25 to 35 mph. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW in the Tetons. Colder temperatures throughout the day and stronger winds are expected to keep the existing snow surface frozen, making it unlikely to trigger avalanches except for in isolated pockets in steep shaded terrain. The hazard may increase if significantly higher than forecasted temperatures occur.In the Togwotee Pass and Greys River areas the hazard is expected to be MODERATE. Cold temperatures and wind are expected to keep the snow surface hard except for in the most shaded areas where recent warming has not formed a melt-freeze crust. The potential remains for larger triggers such as snowmobilers to trigger slab avalanches in steep terrain. Such slabs could involve buried weak layers as deep as the ground level and are more likely to occur on North facing slopes. Above freezing temperatures will increase the potential for avalanche activity.