Tetons

At the mid and upper elevations, the avalanche hazard will rise during the day as strong westerly winds continue to transport new snow, increasing the depth of new soft slabs to two feet, and older slabs to five feet. These slabs, along with loose snow sluffs, could release naturally or be easily triggered by backcountry travelers in steep, wind loaded terrain. Any extended periods of sunshine in the afternoon will make these slides more susceptible to failure. Since last Tuesday, close to five inches of snow water equivalent has been added to the snowpack. In isolated areas, this load may be sufficient to reactivate early season weak layers near the base of the snowpack. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route finding, and conservative decision making will all be essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain today. At the lower elevations, the snowpack is mostly stable and avalanches are unlikely.

High pressure is expected to build into the region Wednesday bringing drier conditions and clearer skies. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near 10 rising into the mid 20s on Wednesday. Ridgetop winds will be out of the west to northwest at 15 to 25 miles per hour.The General Avalanche Hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE on Wednesday. Backcountry travelers could trigger newly formed wind slabs up to two feet in depth in steep, wind loaded terrain. Some chance persists for deeper releases up to 5 feet. As the day warms, any extended periods of sunshine will make these slabs more susceptible to failure.