Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

The General Avalanche Hazard remains MODERATE. Two avalanche scenarios are possible today. Pockets of surface slab 6 to 12 inches in depth could be triggered on steep, wind loaded slopes near ridgecrests, and could sweep skiers or riders into terrain traps or over cliff bands. Deeper instabilities associated with buried weak layers of faceted snow persist, especially in steep, rocky areas with a shallow snowpack, and could fail to the ground under the weight of a skier, snowmachine, or groups of skiers or snowmachines. On Thursday, the fourth snowmobiler in a group of eight was killed in the Lionhead area as he crossed low on a slope and initiated the slide from below. Similar avalanche events could be encountered today with severe consequences and caution is advised.