Snow was piled six feet deep on the highway. The family was fortunate, Merrell said. The avalanche came after a persistent storm whipped Jackson Hole over Christmas, closing roads and ski lifts. State transportation officials closed Teton Pass Thursday night in anticipation of the continuing storm today. It closed Christmas Eve due to a natural slide and opened only briefly Thursday.
Officials expect to shoot avalanche paths and begin clearing the debris mid-morning today.
Skiing has been excellent, when lifts have been open. High winds played havoc at the Jackson Hole Ski Area, limiting the opening of the tram, Sublette and Thunder lifts. His job took him across slopes that hadn t been skied for a couple of days. It was pretty spongy. Avalanche forecasters are nervous about the heavy snow which has fallen on lighter powder.