Avalanche forecast

Avalanche forecast

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Above freezing temperatures have sustained in the upper elevations over the last 24 hours, leaving our advisory area without an overnight freeze.  The warmth will contribute to wet-loose avalanches today.

Be cautious on all aspects, and especially on any slope that is steeper than 30 degrees today as the upper foot of the snowpack is going to be well saturated. The Sun will amplify the warming of the snowpack and thus making it more prone to wet-loose avalanches....avoid steep slopes that are getting direct Sun.  

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Colder air did sink into valleys last night allowing for a light freeze at our lower elevations. Higher in the mountains, the temps have not dropped below freezing since Wednesday evening. Our snowpack got very warm and wet and loose yesterday by 1 pm. 

    Steep terrain that can slide (slopes steeper than 30 degrees) is going to be suspect today, and could produce natural and or human-triggered wet-loose avalanches.

    Stay off of and out from under steep slopes that are getting heated by the Sun.

    Above freezing temps overnight at the Granite Mountain Weatherstation.

Avalanche Discussion

Today's advisory is sponsored by CM Backcountry Rentals. Thank you for supporting the Payette Avalanche Center!

One more day of Spring today, and then it looks like winter is going to re-freeze our snowpack. The Granite Mountain weather station at  7,804 FT, and the Snotel at 6,540 FT on Secesch Summit both recorded a temp of 41 degrees this morning.  Traveling over snow is going to be wet today. Sunshine is going to help wet-loose avalanches today. The clouds could help to cool things down, but today is probably not the best day to ride steep terrain, especially under direct sunlight, and near rocks. 

Avalanche danger will decrease overnight when the snowpack freezes again tonight. Continue good travel protocols like spreading out and only exposing one person in your group at a time to any steep slopes.

Our last advisory of the season will be tomorrow, Saturday, April 9th, 2022.