Above 8,000 feet, backcountry travelers could trigger recently developed wind slabs in steep, wind-loaded terrain. Any extended periods of sunshine in the afternoon could make these slides more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects. As surface crusts breakdown at the lower elevations, shallow wet slides could become possible in the isothermal snowpack. Monitor how the weather is affecting the snow surfaces, and avoid areas with obvious signs of wind loading.
On Thursday, very strong southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds combined with new snow to create dense wind slabs in leeward terrain. This snowfall came in warm and ended cool, which created a right-side-up snowfall event. Skiers and riders venturing into steep, avalanche-prone terrain could trigger these slabs to depths of one foot.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A weak disturbance will move over the area tonight and bring a chance for isolated mountain snow showers. Cloud cover will then decrease, and skies will be partly to mostly cloudy on Saturday. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid-teens before rising into the mid-20s during the day. Valley lows will be around 20 and then rise to near freezing in the afternoon. Southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds will range from 20 to 35 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate on Saturday. Above 8,000 feet, skiers and riders could trigger dense wind slabs up to 18 inches deep in steep avalanche terrain that has experienced recent wind loading. As the day warms, extended periods of sunshine could makes these slabs more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects. In the Togwotee Pass area, a small chance remains for backcountry travelers to trigger deep persistent slabs failing on faceted snow in the lower portion of the snowpack.
