Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Your odds of triggering a slide increase as you climb into windier upper elevation terrain, particularly on slopes that face away from the afternoon sun. Expect the chance for avalanches to rise sharply tonight as another powerful storm impacts the region.

We will begin issuing daily Avalanche Forecasts with Danger Ratings when snow cover allows for reasonable backcountry recreational access. 

After a break in the action last night, storms return this afternoon. This zone is expected to pick up 3-8" of new snow by sundown, accompanied by increasing SW wind. This combination may be enough to form thin, fresh wind slabs that will overlap yesterday's wind slabs at upper elevations. Wind Slabs may be dangerous on their own, but they also increase the chance of very large avalanches breaking on persistent weak layers buried deeper in the snowpack. 

Shady slopes (NW-N-NE-E aspects) near and above 9000 ft on Bald Mountain, in the Soldier Mountains, near Dollarhide Summit, and near the border of the Galena Summit & Eastern Mountains zone are the most dangerous. 

Cracks shooting out from you and "whumpfing" sounds as the snowpack collapses are red flags that indicate unstable conditions.  Avoid steep slopes if you experience these obvious signs of instability. Triggered slides could be wider than you expect. You may be able to trigger avalanches remotely—from gentler terrain above, below, or to the sides of steep slopes.