Lawinenlagebericht

Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 4 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

You could trigger avalanches where the wind has formed drifts or stiffened the snow surface. At middle and lower elevations, you are less likely to trigger avalanches large enough to bury people. 

In this zone, conditions are most dangerous in the Soldiers, near Dollarhide Summit, and in the upper reaches of the Warm Springs Creek drainage.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–2

    Snowfall and the recent strong W-NW-N-NE wind formed fresh wind slabs in exposed terrain. Yesterday, snowmobilers triggered small wind slab avalanches in the southern Sawtooths. One rider was caught and carried but was unharmed (report). Similar slides are possible in this zone today, particularly in the snowier northern and western portions of the zone near the Soldiers and Dollarhide Summit. 

    Wind slabs formed atop a variety of weak snow layers, including facets on shadier slopes and facets or crusts on sunnier W-SW-S-SE aspects. Because of these weak layers, slabs may be more sensitive to triggering than you might expect. Erratic wind and ongoing snowfall may make wind-loaded slopes hard to identify. Look carefully for drifts and pillows of snow below exposed ridgelines, on the sides of gullies or chutes, and near large terrain features. While more prevalent at upper elevations, some slabs may exist on some windier middle and low elevation slopes. Cracks shooting out from your skis or sled are an obvious sign of instability. Hard slabs that keep you or your sled on the snow surface can behave unpredictably, breaking above skiers and riders.

    You could trigger a wind slab avalanche today. This slide was triggered yesterday by snowmobilers in the Sawtooth Mtns.

Avalanche Discussion

Steering clear of recently formed drifts and slabs is the most effective way to stay out of trouble. Recently wind-drifted snow may not be obvious, particularly in the Soldiers and around Dollarhide Summit, where light snowfall is expected again today. While minor, there are two other scenarios to keep in mind as you prepare to head into the mountains:

  • Loose Snow Avalanches: The Soldier Mountains are expected to receive up to 6" of snow today, adding to modest snowfall amounts from the past few days. This recent low-density snow sits atop extremely weak facets on some NW-N-NE-E facing slopes. On very steep slopes approaching 40 degrees, it won't take much to get surficial sluffs moving (photo). A little bit of direct sunshine, rapid snowfall, or some wind-blown snow sifting onto a steep slope could trigger natural loose snow avalanches. These probably won't be big enough to bury you, but they can pack a punch and could knock you over, pushing you where you don't want to go. Sluffs have the potential to trigger wind slab avalanches when recent winds formed stiff drifts lower in cirques and on the aprons of chutes and couloirs. 
  • Persistent Slab Avalanches: While unlikely, triggering a larger avalanche on weak, sugary, faceted snow deep in the snowpack is not completely off the table. To minimize the odds of this scenario, you can avoid very steep (approaching 40 degrees) slopes with large, hard wind features that keep you on the snow surface. This scenario is most likely in the western half of this zone (the Dollarhide Summit area and the Soldier Mtns). 

Pay attention to the terrain above you. Remember that even small avalanches can have bad outcomes in complex terrain. Before committing to skiing or riding a slope, think about where an avalanche could carry you. Could you get pushed over cliffs, through trees, or into creeks or gullies? Slopes with these terrain traps are inherently more dangerous than open slopes with a clean runout.

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