Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

 Dangerous avalanche conditions exist. Triggering a large avalanche is most likely in wind-loaded terrain but is possible on sheltered slopes, too. These slides can be triggered remotely—from a distance above, below, or to the side of steep slopes. Watch for signs of cracking and collapsing, but the first clear sign of an unstable snowpack may occur when you trigger a large avalanche. 

This large, remotely-triggered avalanche on Mt. Elly illustrates the current avalanche problem.

A notable natural avalanche cycle has very likely occurred in the Greys Zone over the past several days. Conditions remain dangerous, and we're at the upper end of a considerable hazard rating for human-triggered avalanches. Access remains difficult from many low-elevation trailheads. Please send us your observations if you get out riding. There’s a lot of uncertainty on the horizon, and now is a good time to hedge your riding plans in that uncertainty. This is an atypical early December weather pattern, and the coming week may be similarly complex.  Another hit of snow is expected to begin early tomorrow. Looking at a similar snowpack structure in the Tetons, we can see that most avalanches occurred on the north half of the compass. Go back two weeks in time, and avalanches are all over the map. Take note of this as the snowpack changes today and throughout the coming days. Careful terrain selection and snowpack evaluations will be necessary moving forward. Choose smaller terrain features and steer clear of steep slopes with overhead hazards.