Tetons

Yesterday, a skier triggered a small pocket of wind slab on a southerly aspect on Teton Pass at an elevation around 9,700 feet. Similar avalanches will be possible today above 9,000 feet on very steep, wind-loaded slopes. While small, these slides have the potential to sweep backcountry travelers over cliff bands or into terrain traps. As the day progresses, strong ridgetop winds will be transporting available snow and adding depth and volume to these slabs. Skiers and riders still have some potential to trigger large to very large persistent deep slab avalanches above 7,500 feet, particularly when the underlying weak layers from December and January are less than three feet below the snow surface. Below 7,500 feet, the snowpack is mostly stable and avalanches are unlikely.

Expect mostly cloudy to overcast skies through Sunday. Light to moderate intensity snowfall will be possible overnight before a brief lull occurs in the early morning hours of Sunday. Another disturbance will move through during the day bringing another round of snowfall. Overnight lows in the mountains will be near zero before rising to around 10 degrees in the afternoon. Southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds will range from 20 to 35 miles per hour.On Sunday, the general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate above 7,500 feet. As new snow accumulates and strong winds continue, new wind slabs will be increasing in both their size and likelihood of being triggered. As the Mount Leidy event illustrates, persistent deep slab avalanches up to five feet in depth remain a serious threat to backcountry travelers. These low probability/high consequence slides are more likely to be triggered in terrain where the faceted layers from December and January reside less than three feet below the snow surface. On Sunday, monitor the weather and be willing to turn around if conditions warrant. Below 7,500 feet, the snowpack is mostly stable and avalanches are unlikely.