Areas of unstable snow exist at the mid and upper elevations. Yesterday skiers in the southern Teton Range triggered dense, wind slab avalanches in avalanche starting zones that slide frequently. These slides were large enough to injure or bury humans. Similar events are possible today. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 8,000 feet.
Dense wind slabs up to two feet in depth could be triggered by skiers or riders who venture into steep, wind loaded avalanche starting zones at the mid and upper elevations. These slabs are not expected to be as sensitive to human triggers as they were yesterday. However, they can still be triggered by the weight of a single person.
The next storm system will move from the eastern Pacific into western Wyoming on Thursday afternoon and evening. It will bring 6 to 12 inches of heavy snow to the mountains and will bring rain to the valleys. Temperatures will be in the 20s in the mountains and will be mostly above freezing in the valleys until Sunday. Some areas of instability exist in steep upper elevation avalanche starting zones. Dense wind slabs that were formed by strong southwest to west winds are still a potential hazard. These slabs are up to two feet deep and could be triggered by the weight of a person. The general avalanche hazard is forecast to be MODERATE at the higher elevations. The hazard at the lower elevations is expected to be LOW.
