Togwotee Pass

At the higher elevations some potential may persist in isolated areas for humans to trigger slab avalanches up to 18 inches in depth. Persistent weak layers of faceted snow within the snow pack are the concern with respect to the failure of these slabs. New snow will begin to accumulate on slick old snow surfaces in some avalanche starting zones. Monitor conditions and be wary of steep slopes if rapid loading associated with the new snowfall occurs.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A storm system presently centered over the Oregon Coast will dig southeastward into Nevada overnight and then drift slowly into Northern Utah. Snow is likely to develop in the morning. Periods of moderate to heavy snowfall are possible at times, especially in the afternoon and evening. The snowfall will be accompanied by strong east to northeast winds and temperatures in the 20s. Total accumulations of 5 to 10 inches in the mountains and three to six inches in the valleys are possible by Thursday.If the snowfall forecast verifies new soft slabs will begin to build and could gain some depth during the afternoon and evening hours. Pockets of new slab could build to depths of a foot or more by evening and could be sensitive to human triggers in steep areas with hard old snow surfaces. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW in the morning and increase to MODERATE at the higher elevations later in the day. Monitor conditions and be wary of steep slopes that are experiencing rapid loading.