Tetons

Updated at 1:51 PM...... AN AVALANCHE WARNING has been issued by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.......To begin immediately and last until 7 AM on Tuesday December 30, 2008........For the mountainous areas of Teton, Lincoln and Sublette Counties including Jackson Hole and Star Valley.........Rapidly warming temperatures today have greatly increased the avalanche hazard. This rapid increase in temperatures is causing large volumes of snow to release from roofs in urban areas. It has also increased the avalanche danger in the backcountry which was already HIGH. This morning avalanche hazard reduction efforts at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort triggered an avalanche in the Headwall Area that damaged a restaurant and caught four ski patrollers. No one was harmed. Dangerous unstable conditions exist in the mountains and in urban areas. Travel in the backcountry is not recommended and extreme caution should used around buildings with large volumes of snow on their roofs...................Morning Advisory..........Continued strong winds and dense snow with warming temperatures have created soft slabs to two feet in depth which rest over dense slabs up to six feet deep. Large, dangerous slides involving the new and old snow, will continue to be easily triggered, naturally and by backcountry travelers. On Saturday a skier died after being buried seven feet deep in the Toilet Bowl area of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort despite rapid recovery. At low elevations warm temperatures have increased the chance of slides in steep areas like road cuts and roof tops. TRAVEL IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

Another burst of snow is forecasted for Monday evening with up to four inches of snow in the mountains. Tuesday will be drier and cooler with a chance of light snow and morning lows in the single digits and daytime highs in the teens. Winds will taper Monday evening from southwesterly at 20 m.p.h. to westerly at 15 to 20 Tuesday. Continued new snow and strong winds will maintain the general avalanche hazard at HIGH in the Tetons and Greys River/Southwest Trails areas. Large dangerous natural and human triggered avalanches are likely. It may be more difficult to trigger slides with colder air temperatures but we have not seen significant stabilization over time with this snowpack. TRAVEL IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED. The general avalanche hazard in the Togwotee Pass/Continental Divide areas will be CONSIDERABLE. Dangerous human triggered slab avalanches and natural avalanche activity are possible. Conservative decisions regarding route selection are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain.