Tetons

At upper elevations eighteen inches of new snow Monday was drifted by southwest winds into easily triggered soft slabs to three feet in depth. The new snow has added strain to the deep, hard slab instabilities that plague the region. These poorly supported slabs that also exist at mid elevations could fail to the ground and may be triggered by new snow surface slides, a single person, and more likely a snowmobile even after a slope has been crossed multiple times. After each snow cycle this season there have been several close calls, burials or even deaths. Similar events must be expected today. At the mid and low elevations sloughs could build to dangerous size in steep areas and terrain traps.