Yesterday, a snowmobiler died in an avalanche near Upper Palisades Lake in eastern Idaho. Details are limited at this time, and more information will be provided as it becomes available. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends, family and rescuers involved. Skiers and riders could easily trigger small to large wind slabs and loose snow sluffs in steep, avalanche terrain. Weak layers of faceted snow remain a concern, and large persistent slab avalanches could either be triggered directly by backcountry travelers or step down from the release of a wind slab. Continue to be vigilant with your snowpack evaluation and conservative terrain choices.
Strong, westerly to northwesterly ridgetop winds over the last two days have continued to form wind slabs in leeward terrain. On steep, wind loaded slopes at the mid and upper elevations, backcountry travelers are likely to trigger these slabs with depths ranging from one to three feet. Skiers and riders could trigger smaller wind slabs up to 18 inches deep at the lower elevations.
On steep avalanche prone slopes, large persistent slab avalanches could fail on buried weak layers of faceted snow. These dangerous slabs could be up to four feet deep at the mid and upper elevations. At the lower elevations, slab depths are expected to range from one to three feet. These slabs could be triggered by the weight of a single person or after the release of a wind slab.
Expect mostly cloudy to overcast skies on Sunday as the flow aloft backs to the northwest and brings some limited Pacific moisture to the region. During the day, a few light flurries will be possible. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the low teens before rising into the low to mid 20s in the afternoon. Northwesterly ridgetop winds will back to the west at 10 to 20 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain Considerable above 7,500 feet on Sunday. On steep, leeward slopes impacted by recent winds, skiers and riders could easily trigger wind slabs ranging in depth from one to two feet. Persistent weak layers of faceted snow remain a concern, particularly in the Togwotee Pass forecast zone and other areas that have shallow, faceted snowpacks. Slabs failing on these weak layers might be up to four feet deep, and could either be triggered directly by backcountry travelers or step down from the release of a wind slab. On Sunday, careful snowpack evaluation and conservative terrain choices will be your best tools for staying safe in avalanche terrain. Below 7,500 feet, skiers and riders will continue to have some potential of triggering slab avalanches up to two feet deep.
