Lawinenlagebericht

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Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Conditions are sketchy. Human-triggered avalanches are likely where the wind formed drifts and slabs. In terrain sheltered from the wind, triggering large avalanches is less likely but still possible. You may be able to trigger slides remotely—from flat terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Whether a weak layer exists or not, the combination of snowfall and strong winds makes avalanches likely in windy, upper elevation terrain. These slides may not be as wide or big as the Persistent Slab avalanches described above, but some Wind Slab avalanches could be large enough to bury people. Additionally, they can trigger or "step down" to Persistent Slab avalanches as they move downslope. 

    Steep, wind-loaded slopes should be off limits today, regardless of what elevation band you are in. Avoid playing in areas with overhead hazard—areas below steep, windy slopes that lack dense, live tree stands. 

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Triggering wide, 1-3 foot thick avalanches is most likely in freshly wind-loaded terrain. The storm and wind-driven snow buried a fresh crop of weak facets, surface hoar, crust-facet combinations, or crusts on many middle and upper elevation slopes. More deeply buried weak layers that formed during the extended Jan-Feb drought (facets, crust + facets, surface hoar) have not healed and remain suspect, primarily on NW-N-NE-E aspects above and below the middle-to-upper elevation transition. 

    Persistent Slabs can release in surprising ways:

    • They can break above you
    • Avalanches may be much wider than expected
    • You can trigger them from a distance—above, below, or to the sides of the avalanche crown

    How can we reduce the chances of finding trouble? Avoiding all steep wind-loaded slopes is a good start. Watch for cornices, smooth pillows of snow, and dunes and ripples on the snow surface, visual clues the wind has been at work moving snow. Recognize that avalanches are also possible in more shelted terrain.  Snowpack cracking and collapsing are clear signs of unstable conditions. 

    (2/10/2026) Slab avalanches near Elizabeth Lake in the Northern Sawtooths. NE @ 8,800'.

    Photo: Sawtooth Avalanche Center

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