At the mid and upper elevations strong westerly winds and new snow have created unstable wind slabs on leeward aspects. These slabs could be human triggered by the weight of a single person and could step down to a weak layer of faceted snow that formed in mid-October on northerly and shaded aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.
Today's west to west-northwest winds will continue to load leeward slopes. Humans who venture into steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones at the mid and upper elevations could triggered surface slabs one to two feet deep. On steep northerly aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet these slabs could step down to a depth of three feet
Weak faceted snow persist at the base of the snow pack on northerly and shaded aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet. Dense slabs up to three feet in depth could be triggered by humans on this persistent weak layer. Previous tracks on these slopes may not be an indication of stability
The low level moisture in the atmosphere will decrease overnight and bring an end to the light mountain snowfall. Partial clearing will occur on Monday with temperatures rising into the 30s and southwest winds decreasing to 15 mile per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to MODERATE at the mid and upper elevations. Humans who venture into steep wind loaded avalanche terrain could trigger wind slabs up to two feet deep. On steep northerly aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet these slabs could fail on buried faceted snow and step down to depths of three feet. The potential for humans to trigger these slabs will increase as the day warms. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW below an elevation of 7,500 feet. Grand Targhee Ski Resort will be closed to uphill traffic in preparation for a Friday opening.
