Avalanche forecast

Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Highlights

Large avalanches are unlikely, but you could trigger small avalanches on steep slopes with fresh wind-drifted snow. Small, loose snow avalanches are very likely on very steep slopes that face the sun. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    This zone picked up 1-3" of snow yesterday afternoon. Gusty NW, N, and NE wind likely formed thin wind slabs in exposed terrain. Wind speeds will ease this morning but may ramp up again to build additional small slabs this afternoon and evening.

    Wind slabs often form near or just below ridgelines, on the sides of cross-loaded gullies. Many of them rest on slick crusts. This means they may be easy to trigger, break wider than expected, and will pick up speed quickly as they travel downslope. 

    Pay attention to how the snow feels under your skis or boards. If the snow surface suddenly stiffens or becomes more supportable, you've found a wind slab. Cracks shooting out in front of your skis or boards are a red flag warning you to be cautious. Surface clues like dunes or ripples can tell you the wind has been at work.  

    ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONThe sun will initiate loose snow avalanches on very steep slopes. Avalanche activity will start on E-facing slopes this morning, follow the sun as it moves through the southern sky, and end on W-facing slopes in the afternoon. These slides commonly initiate near warm rocks, fanning out and collecting snow as they go. Human triggered loose snow avalanches (or sluffs) are also possible on very steep, shadier slopes that are sheltered from the wind. Although likely to be small, sun-induced avalanches will be numerous and can travel quickly on the slick surfaces beneath them. Pay attention to the terrain above you. Large slopes can produce slides big enough to knock you off of your feet and carry you places you don't want to go. 

     

    (3/8/2022) New snow drifting along the Salt Bowns Rd in the Soldier Mtns. 

Avalanche Discussion

Tuesday's storm and the subsequent arrival of frigid arctic air have it feeling very "wintery" out there. However, the winter feel is not relegated to just the weather, the upper 1-2' of the snowpack is looking "wintery" as well. Weak layers including multiple crusts, layers of facets, and surface hoar lie beneath the recently fallen snow. The composition of these layers is highly variable and depend on aspect, elevation, slope angle, and the amount of recent snowfall. 

As a quick example, you can see the contrast between this S-facing pit and this N-facing pit I dug yesterday in the Smokys. These pits were less than a 1/4 mile from each other and at similar elevations. The point here is that it's complex. Not only do the weak layers change, but the thickness and stiffness of the slab vary as well. In some areas, you'll be scratching around in "dust on crust". Around the corner, you could run into a stiffer, sensitive drift.

Keep these potential weak layers in mind today. No matter where you head, you're most likely to trigger a slab avalanche where you find stiff, recently formed slabs. With increased complexity comes increased uncertainty. To deal with this, SAC forecasters are beginning to avoid large or high-consequence starting zones over 35* where these weak layers might exist. 

Regions covered