Considerable avalanche danger exists in the backcountry today. Human triggered avalanches are likely today in steep terrain. Slabs could be 2 to 4 feet thick and are likely to trigger easily due to their recent formation. The crusts beneath recent snowfall up to about 9,000’ will make any avalanche entrain lots of debris and be hard to escape. Be cautious with your terrain choices as avalanches could be large today. Author: Frank Carus
West winds transported light density snow yesterday afternoon and deposited it onto lee slopes and behind terrain features. Wind speeds were relatively low so evidence of these slab formation may be hard to find but will most likely exist close to ridgetops or beneath cliffs. Be wary of smooth pillows of snow and keep an eye out for shooting cracks. Both indicate the presence of unstable snow.
Sluffs will be significant in size today, especially at upper elevations or big terrain. Solar aspects have a very firm crust beneath the new snow and will make these grow in size and tricky to manage or escape. Careful management of debris will help you avoid trouble in confined or consequential terrain.
Overnight temperatures will dip into the negative teens. Tomorrow will be cold and mostly clear with temperatures rising only to the single digits near 9,000ft. Wind direction will veer to the north northwest and will average in the teens. Above 9,000ft the risk of triggering a wind slab is reducing. The light density snow is likely to be transported easily even with low wind speeds. Loading wind pillows and terrain features near ridge crest are places that can harbor this instability. Watch for shooting cracks in wind stiffened snow. On steep sheltered slopes, there is a slight chance for dry loose avalanches. Carefully assess the old snow/new snow interface and have a plan for sluff management. Areas that have received higher snow totals will be more susceptible to these avalanche problems. Tomorrow the avalanche danger will be Moderate above 7,500ft and Low below that. Togwotee Pass and the Southwest Trails/Grey’s River areas will be Moderate above 8,000ft with Low danger below.
