TETON AREA AVALANCHE FORECAST Issued at 02/22/2021 05:58 Valid until: 02/22/2021 23:59 Archived - Expired! Mountain Weather Forecast for Today Expect mostly cloudy skies and a few light flurries as flow aloft backs to the northwest. Temperature forecast for 8,000 - 9,000: Rising into the low 20s. Ridge Top Wind Forecast for 10,000´: Westerly to northwesterly at 20 to 30 miles per hour. Snowfall Expected Next 24 Hours: 6 to 9 AVALANCHE DANGER Teton Area avalanche hazard rating for 02/22/2021 Considerable (3) Above 7500', Moderate (2) Below General Avalanche Advisory Avalanche conditions remain dangerous at the mid and upper elevations. Backcountry travelers could easily trigger small to large wind slabs on steep, wind loaded slopes. While these slides could kill you, involvement in a persistent deep slab avalanche almost certainly will. Skiers and riders have the potential to trigger these large to very large slabs on a variety of aspects and elevations. They could also release naturally. If you want to play it safe, stay off of and out from underneath slopes greater than 30 degrees. Otherwise, very cautious route finding and expert snowpack evaluations skills will be a requirement for safe travel in avalanche terrain. Strong winds will likely keep snow surfaces cool. However, if extended periods of sunshine do occur and snow surfaces start to become damp, transition to shaded terrain. Today's Avalanche Problems Persistent Deep Slab ASPECT/ELEVATION - All aspects/elevations except S-SW below 7500' and NE-NW above 9000' LIKELIHOOD - Possible SIZE - Large to Very Large TREND - Steady DESCRIPTION Since early Friday morning, up to 2.0 inches of snow water equivalent has been added to persistent weak layers deeply buried in the snowpack, and some slopes have reached their tipping point. On Saturday, a highly destructive avalanche released naturally on a southeast facing aspect of Mount Hunt around 10,400 feet. This avalanche ran full track, snapped mature trees and had an estimated crown depth between 6 and 8 feet. Other slopes are just waiting for a trigger. These persistent deep slabs are likely to range in depth from 4 to 8 feet at the mid and upper elevations and 2 to 4 feet deep at the lower elevations. These deadly slabs could also step down from the release of a wind slab or occur naturally. Wind Slab ASPECT/ELEVATION - All aspects above 7500' LIKELIHOOD - Likely SIZE - Small to Large TREND - Increasing DESCRIPTION Northwesterly ridgetop winds picked up on Sunday with hourly averages between 20 and 30 miles per hour. While new snow accumulations were light in the past 24 hours, winds easily transported the abundant available snow onto leeward slopes, and wind slabs stiffened and gained volume. Skiers and riders are likely to trigger these slabs with depths ranging from 1 to 4 feet in steep, wind loaded terrain above 7,500 feet. Natural activity will also be possible.