Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Steep avalanche paths without evidence of avalanche activity hold dense, unstable slabs that rest on a persistent layer of weak, faceted snow. These slabs may be easily triggered by the weight of a single person on some slopes, while other suspect areas may be crossed several times before a skier or rider hits a weak spot and starts a dangerous avalanche. Slabs depths range from 18 inches in depth at the lower elevations (below 8000 feet) to three feet in depth at the mid and upper elevations. Unpredictable conditions require careful snow and terrain evaluation to avoid features of concern. Always travel one-at-a-time in avalanche terrain. The general avalanche hazard is MODERATE.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. ) Overnight into Wednesday morning up to four inches of light snow is expected. Winds will veer to northwesterly and slow to 15 miles per hour. Mountain temperatures will fall to the single digits by Wednesday morning as cloud cover becomes more broken. Wednesday will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny with highs at 9,500 feet barely climbing out of the single digits. New snow and strong westerly winds are forming easily triggered soft slabs on lee slopes at upper elevations. The depth of these slabs will vary across the region but they may build enough to sweep people off their feet or bury them in terrain traps. The new snow will add to the potential for deeper slides on steep avalanche paths that have not seen avalanche activity. These areas hold dense, unstable slabs that rest on a persistent weak layer. The deeper slabs could be two to three feet deep and may require large triggers like a snow machine or more than one person on a slope at the same time. Careful terrain evaluation is essential to identify and avoid areas of concern. Isolated pockets of slabs to 18 inches in depth could be user triggered at low elevations in very steep areas such as ravines.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE at the mid and upper elevations and LOW at the lower elevations.