Avalanche forecast

Avalanche forecast

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The Avalanche  Danger is Low. Generally, safe avalanche conditions exist.  Loose avalanches within the upper foot of the snowpack are possible in steep terrain.  As the sun heats up the snow surface today, wet-loose avalanches are going to be possible. Choose cooler aspects to ride and slide on that are not showing signs of overheating like rollerballs and point releases, and remember there is still avalanche danger during Low danger ratings.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose avalanches are going to be possible as the sun and temperatures warm the snow surface today. The last couple of days, the wind and clouds have helped keep things a little cooler, but the next couple of days are going to really get hotter than average. Solar aspects have loose snow sitting on a crust that could make it more likely to slide as the heat gets turned up. Watch your slope angle and your aspect. If you are sinking more than a couple of inches into what was previously firm, or you are seeing signs of the snow getting too warm like rollerballs and point releases forming from the surface or around rocks, choose another aspect that is tilted away from the sun.

    (3/26/2021) Loose snow 6-12 inches deep sitting on a firm crust with graupel mixed into it in places that were not scoured by winds...Crusts mixed in the loose snow on this East aspect around 7,000 FT.

Avalanche Discussion

Loose snow exists where the Sun could not heat it up. On solar aspects, and lower elevations we had a rain and temperature crust form on the surface before the latest snow fell on it that has challenged snow to bond to it. Skiers triggered loose-wet avalanches early this week that were not large enough to bury a person, but large enough to scare the people involved and potentially injure a person or put them into unwanted places.  Winds have been variable, and gusty in the upper elevations. Wind slabs have been minor, and no real activity other than small harmless localized cracking was observed. Keep in mind that there is still potential to get the upper foot at best in places to slide on steep slopes.

$$$Don't throw caution to the wind during LOW danger...Make sure everyone in your group is carrying a transceiver, shovel, and a probe on them and not on their sled...Keep using good, safe travel protocols in terrain steeper than 30 degrees, and have fun while watching your partners one at a time from a safe spot.