Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Overnight cooling has developed hard melt-freeze crusts in most areas. The general avalanche hazard will be LOW. New soft slabs will develop on steep slopes at the highest elevations with strong winds and new snowfall. These slabs should be small but be alert to local areas with heavier snowfall and avoid steep slopes. Periods of rain at the lowest elevations will dissolve crusts and increase the hazard for wet loose slides in the steepest ravines.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A rapidly moving Pacific system will bring clouds Saturday evening then rapidly accumulating snow beginning early Sunday morning passing by Sunday afternoon leaving up to 10 inches of accumulation in the Tetons with less snow expected in the Togwotee Pass and Southwest Trails areas. Winds will pick up from the west with averages up to 35 miles per hour. Mountain temperatures will rise from the mid teens in the morning to the low 20s.The General Avalanche Hazard is expected to be MODERATE. Cold overnight temperatures will freeze snow surfaces and put a cap on the warm snowpack, reducing the chance of deeper wet loose slides. The rapidly loading new snow with strong winds will develop new soft slabs to 18 inches in depth at upper elevations. The new snow will also help hold the warmth in the snowpack so that future warming periods will rapidly make the deeper snowpack unstable again. Depending on the morning temperatures the snowpack at lower elevations may continue to be unstable.