Tetons

Localized areas of intense snowfall occurred yesterday and increased the avalanche hazard, especially in the southern portion of this forecast zone where up to two feet of very light density snow fell. At the higher elevations light to moderate southerly winds have formed pockets of new soft slab. New snow sluffs became dangerous on steep sustained slopes. Warming temperatures are in the forecast and could adversly affect the snow stability. Avalanche hazard mitigation efforts by the WYDOT last night failed to trigger slides in the Glory Bowl and Twin Slide avalanche paths that ran to the highway. An explosively triggered slide on the west side of the pass did hit the road. Skier triggered slides are likely today at the higher elevations and are possible at the mid and lower elevations. Assess the snowpack and terrain carefully. Conservative terrain choices are warranted.

Overnight and into tomorrow, snowfall is expected to impact the Tetons with five to ten inches and only one to three inches in the Togwotee Pass and the Grey’s River areas. Mountain temperatures will start in the mid to low teens and then warm into the upper teens to low twenties. Westerly ridgetop winds will be ten to twenty miles per hour with higher gusts. At the upper elevations in the Tetons, the avalanche hazard is expected to remain Considerable. There, riders and skiers could easily trigger soft slab avalanches up to 3 feet deep and dangerous sluffs on steep avalanche-prone terrain. In the Grey’s River and Togwotee Pass forecast areas, the avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate. Riders and skiers could possibly trigger small to large persistent slab avalanches one to four feet in depth. Although these slab avalanches will be harder to trigger than the slabs in the Tetons, the outcome will likely have much higher consequences.