Banner Summit

Look for thin drifts in exposed middle and upper elevation terrain. While small and isolated, recent drifts and slabs may be easy to trigger. You are unlikely to trigger avalanches in areas sheltered from the wind. 

It's been mostly dry since the first week of January aside from small storms beginning on January 20th and January 30th. Despite the prolonged dry spell, the snowpack here is 112% of normal. Thankfully, the strong start to the winter was enough to endure the past 4 weeks of mostly dry weather. I pulled data from the SNOTEL weather station on Banner Summit yesterday. Check out this plot to see how we compare to the 30-year average. 

Very light snow showers are clearing out of the area this morning. Triggering a large avalanche is unlikely, but here are a couple of problems to consider as you head into the mountains: 

Wind Slabs: Small, skier-triggered avalanches were reported on Monday near Galena Peak, and on Tuesday in Lake Ck north of Ketchum. Yesterday, cracking and collapsing were reported near Galena Pass and near the valley bottom along highway 75 near the headquarters of the SNRA.

These small drifts and slabs are proving to be quite touchy where they rest on faceted snow from the January drought. Keep your eyes peeled for textured, wind-sculpted snow surfaces, especially near exposed ridgelines. Although small, they may be large enough to knock you off your feet. Consider the consequences of triggering a small slide if you are traveling in serious terrain. 

Cornices: The recent snowfall is making it more difficult to tell if you are traveling along a snow-covered ridgeline or out on an overhanging cornice. Cornices are unpredictable, and the safe play is to avoid riding or skiing on them.