Togwotee Pass

The general avalanche hazard is MODERATE. Strong west-northwest winds have formed soft surface slabs up to two feet deep on leeward aspects. These slabs lie upon well developed surface hoar and could be human triggered on steep slopes. These winds have loaded a snowpack with persistent weaknesses at its base. The potential continues for people to trigger deep, hard slabs up to six feet deep in some steep avalanche paths. Yesterday a skier was completely buried and rescued unharmed in a slide on a northeast aspect of Starvation Peak in the Snake River Range and another skier was caught and carried but not injured in a slide in Granite Canyon in Grand Teton National Park. Both slides were skier triggered by the third person on the slope, failed on surfaces formed in mid January and ran long distances.