Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

The general avalanche hazard is MODERATE. Yesterday a fresh natural hard slab avalanche with a five foot crown was observed on a southeast aspect of Mt. Taylor in the southern Teton Range. This is the only new avalanche activity that we are aware of in the backcountry since last weekend. Deep hard slabs up to five feet in depth present a serious threat to humans who venture into avalanche paths that did not slide during the past storm cycle. These slabs could be human triggered, especially by larger triggers such as snow machines. These slabs are problematic because in some areas they are stable, in other areas they may be crossed multiple times before a weak spot is hit causing the slab to slide and in other areas they could be remotely triggered by the weight of a single person. As the day progresses warm temperatures and abundant sunshine will increase the sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers. People tend to take greater risks when the skies are clear. Conservation terrain choices and restraint are essential as the consequences of triggering a deep hard slab could be fatal.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Cool dry conditions are expected across the region through the weekend. On Saturday skies will be clear and winds will be light and variable. Temperatures will drop into the single digits overnight and rise into the 20s during the day.The general avalanche hazard is expected to MODERATE. Deep hard slabs up to five feet in depth continue to present a treat to humans who venture into steep avalanche paths that did not slide during the last storm cycle. These slabs could be human triggered especially by larger triggers such as snow machines. These slabs are problematic because in some cases they may be crossed multiple times before a weak spot is hit and the slab releases while in other areas where the snowpack is shallower they could be triggered by the weight of a single person. Clear skies tend to encourage people to take greater risks. Warming and sustained periods of sunshine will increase the sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers. Conservation terrain choices and restraint are essential as the consequences of triggering one of these slabs could be fatal.