The snowpack on Togwotee Pass has buried persistent weak layers that continue to be a threat to backcountry travelers. Slabs involving these layers could be triggered above 7500 feet and could be large to very large. These deep persistent slabs could be triggered by backcountry travelers and a slight potential exists to trigger wind slabs formed last week with depths to eighteen inches in steep, high elevation terrain. Pay attention to sunlight and warming today and monitor their affects on the strength of the upper portion of the snowpack. Below 7500 feet significant avalanche activity is unlikely.
Areas of the Togwotee Pass snowpack have poor structure, and the weight of a single person is still sufficient to trigger a deep persistent slab avalanche. Large triggers, such as snowmobiles, or potential cornice failure, are more likely than an individual skier to trigger one of these deadly avalanches. Slab depths could vary from three to six feet.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Dry weather is to continue tonight and Tuesday. Clouds are to move in late Tuesday with light snow expected Tuesday night. Morning temperature inversions are expected similar to today with morning temperatures near ten degrees at the higher elevations and colder below that elevation. Highs are to reach near thirty at all elevations. Southwest winds with ten to fifteen mile per hour averages will help to mix out the temperature inversion. The General avalanche hazard will be Moderate in higher terrain and Low in lower terrain in all the forecast areas. In the Teton area, the triggering of wind slabs remains a possibility. In the Togwotee Pass area, where the snowpack is wrought with weak snow, deep persistent slab could still be triggered by a single person, causing large to very avalanches. The Southwest Trails area has a potential for either of these avalanche problem types, wind slabs or deep slabs, although avalanches involving the deep weakness are not as probable as in the Togwotee Pass zone. In all areas, larger triggers such as snow machines or naturally falling cornices are more likely to cause failure and increasing temperatures and direct sunlight will weaken slopes and cornices in the late morning and afternoon.
