Tetons

Heavy overnight snowfall and westerly winds have created easily triggered soft slabs to three feet in depth on avalanche-prone lee slopes at upper elevations. The new snow rests on slick sun crusts on sun exposed aspects and soft slabs or deep sloughs to 18 inches in depth could be human triggered or run naturally on most slopes. Careful route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential for safe backcountry travel today particularly on the west side of the Tetons with 16 inches or more of new snow. The wet, isothermal snowpack at the lower elevations is capped by a firm crust from overnight, below freezing temperatures and should be mostly stable.

A cold front will move over the region Monday night with light snow expected. The snowfall will taper off by Tuesday morning as high pressure ridging builds into the area. Skies will be partly cloudy Tuesday with morning lows in the single digits and daytime highs reaching the low 20s. Winds along the ride tops will be southwesterly at 20 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Considerable. The light density storm snow will be easily drifted onto lee slopes increasing the size and sensitivity of slabs. Backcountry travelers in the Tetons can expect to find easily triggered soft slabs and sloughs to two feet in depth on steep slopes of all aspects. Any periods of sunshine will increase the sensitivity of slides. Sloughs that occur naturally may rapidly entrain dangerous volumes of snow. At lower elevations continued cool temperatures should result in a mostly stable snowpack. In the southwest Trails and Continental Divide areas deeper weak layers in the snowpack could result in human triggered deeper slabs to two feet in depth or more on very steep terrain.