Tetons

A shallow early season snowpack exists. Conditions are mostly stable however some potential may persist at the higher elevations for humans to trigger isolated pockets of surface slab up to a foot deep in very steep terrain features. Several cold clear nights have caused the growth of surface hoar and faceting of the snowpack in areas where it is the most shallow. Areas of bare ground and snow depths less than six inches deep exist at the lower elevations.

A Pacific low pressure trough will produce snowfall across our forecast area overnight. Snow levels will descend to the valley floors. Accumulations of four to eight inches are possible in the mountains. Skies on Tuesday will be mostly cloudy with decreasing snow shower activity. Temperatures at 9,000 feet will be in the teens. Winds will be south-southwest overnight and veer to the west during the day. Speeds of 10 to 20 are forecast with gusts to 30 miles per hour. At the upper elevations the new snow and winds will begin to build shallow drifts of soft surface slab on leeward aspects. Although these slabs will initially be shallow and limited in distribution, they are expected to become sensitive to failure in steep terrain as they gain depth and volume. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW but increasing. Monitor conditions and avoid steep terrain where rapid loading of new snow has recently occurred or is in process.