Tetons

Conditions remain dangerous at the mid and upper elevations in areas where last week’s new snow accumulated on old faceted snow layers. Yesterday afternoon a solo skier triggered a large slab avalanche in Steve Baugh Bowl outside of the boundary of Grand Targhee Ski Resort. That slide failed on a slope that had been previously skied. Widespread collapsing is still being observed in the backcountry. Two close calls occurred last week. Cautious route selection is recommended as avalanches can be triggered from below a slope as well as above. In terrain where the recent snow lies directly upon the ground, avalanches are not expected today. Thank you to Skinny Skis for hosting a hugely successful Avalanche Awareness Event last night and supporting the operations of this avalanche center and Teton County Search & Rescue.

Moisture will begin to move into the area during the afternoon hours. Expect light snow to develop at the higher elevations before a steady stream of moisture brings moderate to heavy snowfall to the region later in the evening and into Sunday morning. Temperatures will remain in the 20s at the higher elevations and rise into the 30s in the valleys. Winds from the southwest will increase to 15 to 20 miles per hour.Persistent weak layers at the mid and upper elevations remain sensitive to the weight of a single person. Humans who venture onto steep slopes could trigger large slab avalanches up to three feet deep. The general avalanche hazard is considerable at the mid and upper elevations. Safe travel there requires excellent terrain and route selection skills, a comprehensive understanding of the distribution of existing persistent weak layers and conservative terrain choices. The general avalanche hazard is low below an elevation of 8,000 feet.