Avalanche forecast

Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Wet snow avalanches are possible in steep, rocky terrain receiving direct sun—be wary of traveling on or below these slopes, especially later in the day. Triggering a large, thick avalanche is unlikely, but if you were to find trouble, it would be on steep slopes facing the northern two-thirds of the compass near and east of HWY 75.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Loose snow avalanches are possible on very steep, rocky slopes receiving direct sun. Avalanche activity is most likely on S-facing slopes by midday and on W-facing terrain this afternoon. These slides often initiate near the base of trees and rocks, gathering snow and growing in size as they move downhill. Rollerballs, or pinwheels, signify that the snow is heating up, and wet avalanches may soon follow. A mushy, wet snow surface indicates that stability is deteriorating and the likelihood of triggering a slide is increasing. 

    While most will start small, they will be plenty large enough to knock you off your feet and carry you into unwanted terrain. Even small slides are consequential above terrain traps such as gullies, creeks, and thick timber. Plan your day to avoid lingering under steep, sunny slopes. 

    In the mountains east of HWY 75, the snowpack has melted significantly, and many southern slopes have little snow remaining. As a result, wet loose avalanches are unlikely in these areas.

    (2/26/2025) Wet loose avalanches on a low elevation W-facing slope in the Warm Springs Drainage. Photo: Sawtooth Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Slabs exist above widespread, weak layers (facets, surface hoar, crusts, and combinations). Persistent Slab avalanches are most likely in thinner snowpacks around the Wood River Valley. Before triggering an avalanche, you may not experience obvious signs of instability like snowpack cracking and collapsing or whumpfing. Persistent Slabs can release in surprising ways and break much wider than expected. You are most likely to trigger a dense, 2-4 foot thick avalanche where:

    • The snowpack is less than 4 feet thick—relatively shallower spots may exist where the wind frequently blows, and the slab is not uniformly thick.
    • Any part of the slope you are on or connected to is steeper than about 35 degrees
    • The slope faces the northern 2/3 of the compass
    • A smaller wind slab or loose snow avalanche overloads the buried weak layers

    (2/18/2025) A skier on Patterson Pk near Hailey triggered this large avalanche. After several turns on the slope, the slide broke above and around them. Thankfully, the skier was able to ski ahead and to the side of the slab. NW @ 8,050'. Photo: Sawtooth Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Without a solid freeze overnight, the upper snowpack has remained wet, and any thin surface crusts formed overnight will quickly break down on slopes basking in unobscured sunlight. Today's wet snow problems will follow the sun's path—E and SE in the morning and S, SW, and W in the afternoon. Many slopes have already shed and slid naturally over the past few days of strong sun and warm temperatures, so widespread naturals or signs of instability, like rollerballs or pinwheels, may not be obvious. If you encounter a wet, mushy snow surface, you could trigger a wet loose slide, particularly on very steep, sun-drenched slopes. To manage this, avoid lingering under or traveling on steep slopes during the heat of the day or where the upper 5–8 inches of the snowpack is wet and mushy.

Triggering a large persistent slab avalanche is unlikely. However, if you were to find trouble, it would likely be east of HWY 75 in the Wood River Valley, where the snowpack remains generally shallow. Friday, on Patterson Peak, Ethan noted that you would most likely find this problem on very steep, previously wind-loaded slopes facing NW, N, or NE. 

Regions covered