Avalanche forecast

Avalanche forecast

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Gusty winds reaching almost 30 Mph over the last 24 hours have been from the Northern end of the compass. Be cautious in wind-loaded terrain above 7,000 feet where you are likely to encounter sensitive wind slabs. These slabs could be resting on slick rain and sun crusts that may fail easier.   

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    The majority of the winds over the last 24 hours have been out of the Northeast. The winds have been strong, and have been moving snow and forming slabs since Thursday. These strong Northern winds have done some damage to exposed slopes, but they have done a great job of forming sensitive slabs on leeward slopes that range from 3- 12" deep.

    Below 7,600 feet, these slabs are sitting on top of a rain crust that formed earlier this week during our largest natural avalanche cycle of the season.

    Watch for red flags like cracking in the snow surface from your skis or sled, or sounds of whoomphing in the snowpack. Find alternate routes that don't take you into steep, wind-loaded terrain.

     

    Adequate wind speed for transporting snow and building slabs all week with recent strong Northen winds gusting into the upper 20 Mph range.

Avalanche Discussion

Today's advisory is sponsored by Mile High Powersports just South of McCall on highway 55, Thanks for supporting the PAC and the Friends!

Winds out of the North have been hard to ignore. They have been Strong, ramping up to almost 30 mph. We have had moderate to strong winds all week building slabs and even helping with a widespread natural avalanche cycle  Wednesday-Thursday where the rain line pushed up to 7,600 feet.

 Upper elevation slopes are going to be suspect of sensitive wind slabs that could fail easily on top of this new rain crust. Lower elevation slopes, below 7,000 feet, that got saturation as far as 2 feet down from the surface, are strengthening with the colder temps over the last couple of days.

Older wind slabs that failed Wednesday-Thursday were resting on a layer of dense wind-packed and faceted snow or some of the light dry, recycled powder that was a joy to ski and ride in last week.  The rapid warmup combined with wind loading did a pretty good job cleaning weak layers off our steep slopes, but it is still possible that you could trigger a slab avalanche in wind-loaded terrain that did not release by itself.