Tetons

Both natural and skier triggered avalanches were reported on Saturday. This activity occurred at the mid and upper elevations on east to northeast facing slopes, and slab depths ranged from one to two feet. Up there, similar slides are likely to be triggered today in steep, avalanche prone terrain. The most problematic areas will be on slopes where faceted snow resides under the recent snowfall. Entering avalanche terrain where these faceted weak layers may be present is rolling the dice. Don’t let sunshine and abundant snowfall impair your judgement. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist, and the snowpack should be evaluated with a keen eye. At the lower elevations, skiers and riders might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of shallow soft slab in very steep terrain. This scenario is more likely in the northern Tetons where the pre-storm snowpack was deeper.

Skies will be clear above areas of morning fog that will dissipate before noon. Temperatures will be slightly inverted and will drop into the single digits in the morning and rise into the 20s in the afternoon. Winds will back to the west and increase. Skiers and riders are remotely triggering dangerous slab avalanches. These slabs will slowly gain strength. Humans who venture towards them will get further (actually out on them) before they fail. In this manner unstable slopes actually become more dangerous as they become less sensitive to human triggers. These slabs are generally one to two feet deep. These dangerous slabs lurk on slopes that are familiar and enticing to skiers and snowmobilers. Some of these slopes are stable and some are not. In these conditions expert snowpack stability skills may not suffice. The answer is smart terrain choices. Stick to green light terrain.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE at the mid and upper elevations and LOW below an elevation of 7,500 feet.