Strong winds have added depth and volume to recently formed wind slabs. Skiers and riders could trigger these slabs in steep, wind-loaded terrain. Deeper slabs, which lie upon faceted snow throughout the snowpack, remain a threat. As the day warms, sunshine could make these slabs more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects, particularly in areas that are protected from the wind and collect heat. Cautious route finding and careful snowpack evaluation will be essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain today.
Buried layers of faceted snow persist within the snowpack. Recently formed slabs, which lie upon surface hoar, could be triggered with depths to 18 inches. Older slabs up to five feet deep could also be triggered. Failure of deeper layers is most probable in high-elevation avalanche starting zones.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )The chance for light, scattered flurries will persist overnight before high pressure begins to build into the area during the day. Cloud cover will decrease by mid-morning, and partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies will prevail as the day progresses. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid-teens before rising into the mid-20s in the afternoon. Strong southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds at 25 to 35 miles per hour will continue overnight before veering to the northwest and decreasing to 15 to 25 miles per hour during the day.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate on Sunday. In the higher elevations, skiers and riders venturing into steep, wind-loaded terrain could trigger wind slabs up to two feet deep. Isolated pockets of surface slab might also be triggered in the lower elevations. As the day warms, sunshine could increase the likelihood of triggering these slabs on sunlit aspects. Old, persistent weaknesses exist in the snowpack. Activity involving these layers is most likely to occur in the Togwotee Pass area where the snowpack is shallow, and the structure is poor. There, large slides could be triggered by the weight of a single skier or rider. In the Tetons and Greys River forecast zone, failure of these deep layers is not expected.
