Sawtooth & Western Smoky Mtns

Mostly stable conditions exist, and large avalanches are unlikely. You may find thin pockets of windblown snow near ridgelines and below large cliff faces. Small, loose snow sluffs are possible in very steep terrain sheltered from the wind. 

The avalanche danger is LOW, and large avalanches are unlikely. Today's very light snowfall is not going to drastically change the picture. It will however add ammunition to two small avalanche concerns: wind slabs and loose snow avalanches. I describe these minor hazards in a video (link). Keep these potential problems at the front of your mind as you head into the mountains. 

WIND SLABS: By the end of the day many areas will have 5-8" of recent, low-density snow. While not a lot, it's enough to form small, isolated wind slabs in areas exposed to the wind.  It's been mostly calm with some light NW, N, and NE wind and moderate gusts over the last few days. Today's wind forecast doesn't look much different. That said, it wouldn't take long to build up a thin sensitive wind slab.

Yesterday, a very small skier-triggered wind slab was observed near Galena Summit (photo). You're most likely to find these slabs near ridgelines and in rocky chutes. These and older, thicker slabs will be most dangerous where they overlie weak faceted snow or hard, icy or wind-polished surfaces. Triggered avalanches could travel quite fast on the hard surfaces beneath them on some slopes. If the snow suddenly gets deeper and/or stiffer, you've found a wind slab. If you see cracks shooting out from your skis or boards, think about the consequences of being knocked over by a small avalanche before committing to skiing or riding the slope.  

LOOSE SNOW (SLUFFS): Small human-triggered loose snow avalanches are possible in very steep terrain that is sheltered from the wind. Yesterday, I triggered small loose snow avalanches on shaded slopes of the Western Smokys. Ben triggered a small loose snow avalanche on an upper elevation south-facing slope in the Sawtooths. These small slides are running faster and further on slopes that face the sun, thanks to slick crust layers near the surface. As with the wind slabs described above, the primary hazard is a small slide knocking you over and pushing you somewhere you don't want to go.