Southeast Mountains

The big picture view shows generally safe avalanche conditions due to fairly dry weather and the shallow to non-exestent snowpack. When traveling at upper elevations watch for isolated areas of unstable snow on wind-loaded terrain features. 

Before the last storm around November 24th, the avalanche forecast was at LOW avalanche danger with no listed avalanche problems. For the last four days, we've been holding MODERATE avalanche danger in the NW Mountain forecast, while the SE Mountain forecast has already progressed to LOW. Today we are back to level 1 avalanche danger across the board with no specified avalanche problems. This is basically a return to normal caution. In our continental snowpack, it's very difficult to ever completely rule out the rare possibility of triggering a slab avalanche, and that will be just the case for the coming days. The chance of triggering an avalanche is unlikely, not impossible. If we were to see the rare report of a human triggered slab avalanche, it would be expected to occur at upper elevations, on a previously wind-loaded slope, or in steep terrain where you have small slabs pressed into areas near cliff bands. 

The NW Mountains have the best snow coverage along the Ruby Range and that is where we are seeing the most people get out for turns. While in the SE Mountains the snow coverage is far more limited, where the only really continuous snowpack can be found in the wind-loaded bowls of the high peaks. 

It can be easy to become complacent when traveling in the backcountry right now with the lack of recent avalanches and dry conditions. If you are traveling in an area with a layered snowpack, keep checking in with your group, talk about those isolated areas that could hold the snowpack structure capable of producing a slab avalanche, and consider ways to reduce the consequences if you were to find that unlucky sweet spot.