Yesterday some riders triggered a deep hard slab avalanche in the Wyoming Range on a northeast aspect at an elevation of 9,500 feet. The crown of that avalanche was 43 inches deep. It failed on a basal layer of depth hoar. Buried layers of faceted snow continue to be a potential problem layer in steep, active upper elevation avalanche paths that face north through east to south in the Togwotee Pass area, especially during the warmest portion of the day. Isolated pockets of shallow wind slab up to a foot in depth and loose snow sluffs could also be human triggered in steep avalanche starting zones and cliff areas . Reissued at 6:50 AM to include a report that a snow biker was fully buried somewhere in the Togwotee Pass area yesterday and successfully rescued by companions.
At the higher elevations buried layers of faceted snow continue to be a concern in steep active avalanche paths that face north through east to south. Some potential remains for snowmobilers to trigger deep hard slab avalanches up to three feet deep on these slopes.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Skies will remain mostly clear. Areas of morning valley fog are possible. Temperatures will be in the teens and single digits overnight and rise into the 20s and 30s during the day. Light westerly winds will continue.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW in the Teton and Greys River/Southwest Trails areas and MODERATE in the Togwotee Pass/Continental Divide Trails area where some weak layers persist within the snowpack.
