Togwotee Pass

The avalanche danger will be Low today. Aspects on the southerly half of the compass will warm rapidly. On solar aspects near 9,500ft the melt freeze crust is thick and supportive, but underneath it is unfrozen, water affected snow. It may be possible today for this crust to break down completely making the snowpack unsupportive. Be prepared to move off of steep terrain as snow surfaces weaken and plan exit routes accordingly. On steep, northerly aspects above 9,000ft, persistent weak layers buried one to two feet deep still exist though the likelihood of triggering is very unlikely. Though the danger is Low, do not get complacent. Do not get caught off guard by rapidly changing snow conditions and by colder snow on the northerly half of the compass that has not transitioned to Spring. Avalanche danger may increase with daytime warming and direct sun.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )There is a slight chance of snow overnight. This favors the northern Tetons and Absarokas, with two to four inches possible in the mountains. Nighttime temperatures will dip down into the teens near 9,000ft. Friday will be partly cloudy with temperatures at the mid elevations reaching into the low to mid-thirties. Ridgetop winds will veer to the west at 10-15mph.With an overnight freeze expect morning snow surfaces to be firm. Aspects on the southerly half of the compass will warm rapidly once the sun comes out. Below 9,000ft the snowpack may become unsupportive during the heat of the day. Wet avalanches are unlikely but not impossible. The slight chance of snow overnight will not decrease the overall stability of the snowpack, but small sluffs may be possible. The avalanche danger will be Low but may increase at lower elevations as temperatures rise.On northerly aspects the warmup and subsequent freeze during the last week has helped stabilize persistent weak layers. That being said, they continue to lurk 1-3 feet below the surface on steep, cold aspects above 9,000ft. Although triggering these layers is very unlikely, being caught by these slides could have dire consequences.