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Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Kernpunkte

You may be able to trigger small avalanches where the wind has drifted snow and built stiff slabs, and loose snow avalanches are possible on very steep slopes. While small, either of these could be enough to knock you off your skis or sled and send you downslope. Generally stable avalanche conditions exist, and large avalanches are unlikely. 

Avalanche Discussion

While large avalanches are unlikely in this zone, there are still a few things to keep in mind as you are traveling in the mountains today. Encountering these small, isolated hazards in the wrong sort of terrain can have high consequences:

WIND SLABS: Over the past few days, skiers and riders have found unstable drifts of snow on middle and upper elevation slopes across our region. On Saturday, a skier triggered a wind slab avalanche (crown photo, debris photo) in the neighboring Sawtooths & Western Smoky zone. It broke about a foot deep and 50' wide. These slabs have been small and isolated and are unlikely to produce a slide large enough to bury you. Look for these slabs in terrain that is exposed to the wind. How do you look for them? Surface textures such as ripples on the surface are good signs that the wind has been at work. Be alert to changes in how the snow feels as well. If it quickly gets denser and stiffer you've likely found one of the isolated slabs. Even though they are a few days old now, these slabs may remain sensitive thanks to the very weak snow they were deposited on.

LOOSE SNOW AVALANCHES: Loose snow slides start out at a point and fan out as they travel down the slope. Today's may come in two flavors:

  • DRY - If you are finding cold snow to ski and ride through on steep slopes you may be able to trigger a dry sluff. 
  • WET - Today will be a bit cooler than yesterday, but if you are playing in sunny, steep, rocky terrain during the heat of the day you may be able to trigger one of these small slides.

Both of these types of loose snow avalanches are relatively easy to manage, as long as you're paying attention. However, they can also both produce slides large enough to knock you off your feet and send you down the slope at speed, thanks to the stiff snow surfaces underneath.

Want to catch up on what happened last week? Be sure to check out the latest weekend update from Chris.

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