At the mid and upper elevations, shallow pockets of wind slab will continue to build in leeward terrain if moderate to heavy snowfall occurs throughout the day. The snowpack is mostly stable at the lower elevations and avalanches are unlikely.
Wind slabs are forming on hard sliding surfaces and could reach depths of six to eighteen inches by this evening. The chance for backcountry travelers to trigger these slabs will increase as the day progresses.
Continued snow showers are likely overnight before beginning to diminish in the early morning hours. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid teens before rising to near 30 during the day. Southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds will range from 20 to 30 miles per hour overnight before decreasing to 10 to 20 miles per hour during the day.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Friday. In the Tetons and Greys River area, backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of wind slab six to eighteen inches deep in steep, wind-loaded avalanche terrain. As the day warms, these slabs will become more susceptible to failure, particularly on sunlit aspects if there are any extended periods of sunshine. While unlikely, some potential may persist for deep slab avalanches to be triggered in isolated areas in the Togwotee Pass forecast zone.
