Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Avalanches are unlikely, and most slopes are safe.  Sunshine and warm temperatures could produce wet loose avalanches on slopes with thin snow depths that directly face the sun. Be on the lookout for areas where hard wind-drifts overlie weak, sugary snow. 

Brace yourself, here come some large numbers: In the month of February, this zone picked up an average of 1-4" of snow. Total. Remote weather stations in this zone recorded just 4-14% of normal precipitation, the lowest values observed since these stations were established 40 years ago. Last February the record was set for the most snow recorded at Baldy when a whopping 135" of snow fell. This year, if we include the big storm near Thanksgiving, the year-to-date total is 90". This extended drought has been paired with consistently below-average temperatures, transforming the "snowpack" to a very weak stack of sugary facets. Of course, that's assuming you are on a slope that still has snow on it. Many slopes that directly face the sun are entirely free of snow.

It has been nearly a month since the last significant avalanche took place in this zone—you know it's been a slow year when we are still talking about a slide from a month ago. On February 6th, ski patrollers at Bald Mountain intentionally triggered an avalanche on a heavily wind-loaded slope that harbored weak, sugary, faceted snow in the lower part of the snowpack (see photo). If I were looking to trigger a slab avalanche in this zone today, this would be the same combination that I'd be looking for. Be alert to this possibility if you find yourself traveling on a hard wind slab. The Dollarhide Summit area near the northern boundary of this zone has fared a little better than the Soldiers and Wood River Valley, and the snowpack there is more similar to the Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns zone. 

CONTINUE TO USE NORMAL CAUTIONAs the saying goes, Low danger doesn't mean no danger. Continue to use normal caution when traveling in the backcountry. What does normal caution mean?

• Make a solid plan before a day in the backcountry. A plan helps you anticipate hazards (of which avalanches are only one), identify options for the day, and ensure everyone is prepared for an emergency.
• Perform a trailhead gear check. A proper beacon check ensures everyone's transceiver can send and receive a signal. Maybe you could use a brush-up on your beacon skills? Don't forget about the Baker Creek beacon park. Is everyone's radio working and on the right channel? Airbags armed and in working order?
• Maintain situational awareness. Don't let your guard down even when the snowpack is generally stable. If you see a wind-loaded slope or another indicator of potential instability, don't assume it's safe just because the danger is Low. Identify and avoid other hazards such as large cornices. 
• Communicate with your partners. As you travel through the mountains talk with your partners. Are you seeing what you were expecting to see when you made your plan in the morning or are conditions different than you thought that they would be? Do you need to adjust your plan accordingly?
• Continue to use safe travel practices. It's easy to get sloppy with your travel practices during periods of stability. Continue to minimize your group's exposure to potential avalanche hazards, ideally traveling one at a time through steep terrain.
• Minimize your exposure to hazards. The likelihood of encountering any sort of problem in life increases when you spend more time exposed to that hazard. You are more likely to be involved in a car accident if you drive every day of the year than you are if you only drive once a week. The same is true in the backcountry.