Strong southerly ridgetop winds, combined with four to eight inches of new snow in the past 24 hours, have increased the depth and volume of recently formed wind slabs. Warming of the snowpack, either by rain or periods of sunshine, will make these slides more susceptible to failure and increase the likelihood of wet loose slides. Repeated melt-freeze cycles have created a mostly stable snowpack below the old snow surface from Wednesday.
Backcountry travelers venturing into very steep, wind loaded terrain above 9,000 feet could trigger pockets of wind slab ten to twenty inches in depth. These slabs rest upon firm sliding surfaces.
Expect precipitation to decrease on Sunday as the Pacific trough that has been bringing moisture to the region slides to the east. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the low 20s before rising into the upper 20s during the day. Westerly ridgetop winds will range from 10 to 20 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Sunday in the Tetons above 9,000 feet. There, skiers and riders venturing into very steep, wind loaded avalanche terrain could trigger pockets of wind slab one to two feet in depth. In the Togwotee Pass and Greys River areas, where the general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW, backcountry travelers might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of wind slab six to twelve inches deep in similar terrain.
