Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

The General Avalanche Hazard is MODERATE today, however DANGEROUS CONDITIONS EXIST. New soft surface slabs up to 18 inches deep formed by southwest to northwest winds lie on good sliding surfaces and weak layers and will be easily triggered by humans on steep slopes. The weight of this new snow increases the potential for backcountry users to trigger dangerous deep slabs to the ground. Yesterday afternoon a large slab avalanche 4 to5 feet deep was triggered on a north-northwest facing slope on Grayback Ridge at an elevation of 7,400 feet. In the Southern Teton Range seven skiers were caught in three separate incidents. One was completely buried and rescued alive by companions. Similar events are likely today. CAUTION IS ADVISED.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A weak system may bring some periods of light snow to the mountains Friday after a drier colder weather pattern overtakes the area tonight. High mountain temps in the single digits and 10-15mph Northwesterly winds are expected. The General Avalanche Hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Friday. Backcountry skiers and riders will have the potential to trigger soft slabs to eighteen inches in depth that lie upon hard snow surfaces and surface hoar in steep avalanche terrain. The potential also will exist to trigger deeper slabs that lie upon a well developed and preserved weak faceted layer especially in the Greys and Togwotee area where the weak layer is more developed, and is more significantly stressed by the new snow load.