Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

The snowpack is generally stable and triggering an avalanche is unlikely. Watch for isolated slopes with pockets of recently wind-drifted snow. Small wet loose avalanches are possible on very steep, rocky slopes receiving direct sun. 

The snowpack is generally stable and triggering an avalanche is unlikely. This zone has received much less recent snowfall than our northern zones—hardly any in fact. Most steep SE-S-SW-W facing slopes at lower and middle elevations are bare, especially in the southern reaches of the zone. Be on the lookout for the small, isolated problems described below:

WIND SLABS: The trace-1" of new snow that fell on Saturday night was blown into small, isolated drifts by NW winds. Look for these near ridgelines and on the sides of cross-loaded gullies and chutes. These will be more common at upper elevations but you may find some slabs at middle elevations as well. Some of them formed on slick, icy crusts and well-developed facets. They probably won't be large enough to bury you but they could knock you off your feet or your sled and carry you downslope.

WET AVALANCHES: Wet avalanches are possible any time above-freezing temperatures and/or sunshine cause the snow surface to melt. Today will be a bit warmer than yesterday and it may become possible to trigger one on very steep  slopes that face the sun—especially where the snowpack is less than about 2' thick.

Catch up on what happened this past week in Scott's latest Weekend Update!