Tetons

The storm ending Monday evening brought up to 30 inches of new snow to the Tetons. The snow has settled and backcountry users have reported only very soft slabs or sloughs running on areas underlain by smooth sun crusts. Pockets of soft slabs or sloughs to two feet in depth could be human triggered on steep slopes at upper elevations. Slides have the potential to grow to dangerous size on steep, long slopes or in couloirs. Periods of sunshine will rapidly warm the snowpack making slides more sensitive to triggers. The wet, isothermal snowpack at the lower elevations is capped by a firm crust from below freezing temperatures and should be mostly stable.

Skies are to be mostly clear during the day with mountain temperatures rising from the mid twenties to near forty degrees. Southwest winds are to have fifteen to twenty mile per hour averages. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate above 8500 feet. Skiers and riders have the potential to trigger pockets of soft slab in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones to depths of two feet. These slabs will become more sensitive in the afternoon as sunlight and warming weaken them. Below 8500 feet avalanches will be unlikely except in the form of small wet loose slides.