Salmon River Mountains

Generally stable conditions exist, and large avalanches are unlikely. You may find isolated pockets of windblown snow near ridgelines. Small, loose snow sluffs are possible in very steep terrain sheltered from the wind. Steer clear of large cornices along riddelines. 

The danger is Low, and large avalanches are unlikely. However, small avalanches can ruin your day in alpine or high-consequence terrain. We're not facing a single, well-defined avalanche problem, but there are a couple of things to consider as you head into the mountains: 

WIND SLABS: Watch for small wind slabs in exposed terrain. An older generation of wind slabs formed last week. They are more difficult to trigger than when they formed, but it's not out of the question that the slabs overlie any preserved softer snow or hard, icy, or wind-polished surfaces. While these slabs and resulting avalanches will not likely be large, they can knock a rider into consequential terrain. Triggered avalanches could travel quite fast on the hard surfaces beneath them on some slopes. If the snow suddenly gets deeper and/or stiffer, you've found a wind slab. If you see cracks shooting out from your skis or boards, think about the consequences of being knocked over by a small avalanche before committing to skiing or riding the slope.  

LOOSE SNOW: Small, loose snow avalanches are possible in very steep terrain that is sheltered from the wind. Many slopes that face the sun have been repeatedly cooked and refrozen over the past several days. As with the wind slabs described above, the primary hazard is a small slide knocking you over and pushing you somewhere you don't want to go. 

 CORNICES: It's the time of the season when cornices have grown large enough to pose a hazard on their own. With recent warm temperatures at upper elevations, overhanging cornices can break off naturally or from the weight of a person. These large chunks of snow can break in unexpected ways and typically break much farther back than expected.

If you're getting out and about in the mountains, drop us an observation HERE.