Sunshine and warm temperatures will be increasing the hazard today. Stiff wind slabs could be human triggered in steep avalanche prone terrain at the mid and upper elevations. Wet slides are possible at the lower elevations and on sunlit aspects at the mid and upper elevations elevations. Yesterday afternoon a wet slide hit a snowmobiler on the Grays River Road east of Alpine and pushed her into the river. She was not injured. This event occurred on a steep, south facing slope at an elevation of around than 6,300 feet.
At the mid and upper elevations hard wind slabs could be triggered by skiers and riders in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones, steep couloirs and cliff areas. These stiff slabs are expected to be one to two feet deep and will become more sensitive to human triggers as the day progresses and snow surfaces soften. Due to their stiffness these slabs may be hard to escape.
Wet slides are possible on steep avalanche prone slopes at the lower elevations and on steep sunlit slopes at the mid and upper elevations during the warmer portion of the day. Wet loose and wet slab avalanches could release naturally or be human triggered and could release to the ground on slopes with a shallow snow cover.
