Avalanche forecast

Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Natural and human-triggered wet snow avalanches are possible, especially where the snowpack is less than a couple of feet thick. If you're sinking into a mushy snowpack, stick to gentler terrain and stay out from underneath large, steep slopes. In alpine and upper elevation terrain, watch for isolated pockets of wind-blown snow.  

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Yesterday, a natural wet avalanche released and deposited 2-4 feet of debris on Warm Springs Road west of Ketchum. Several wet slides were observed in the Wood River Valley between Ketchum and Hailey, and a skier triggered a small wet avalanche on Della Mountain. Natural and human-triggered wet loose avalanches need to be on your radar again today. The snowpack has not frozen solidly in two or three nights, and today's warm temperatures and sunshine will create a soggy mess on many slopes. Some tips for dealing with this type of wet loose avalanche problem:

    • If you're sinking more than a few inches into a wet snowpack that resembles the oatmeal you ate for breakfast, you'll want to stay off of and out from underneath steep slopes. Pay attention to the terrain above you in your travels, and do not linger below very steep slopes longer than needed; wet avalanches frequently release on their own.
    • Wet snow stability can change rapidly; think minutes rather than hours. The steep slope that you safely traveled on or beneath in the morning may not be stable later in the day. 
    • Slides could involve the entire snowpack where it's thin (less than about 2 feet thick). These slides are not huge, but there are almost impossible to escape once you're caught.  
    • With wet avalanches possible on all aspects at lower elevations, creek bottoms will be spooky places to travel in or above. 

    Plan your day carefully so you're not traveling in or above terrain traps this afternoon. 

    ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONKeep your eyes peeled for small, isolated wind slabs at upper elevations, especially in the Soldier Mtns and Dollarhide Summit area. Although this zone did not receive much new snow recently, moderate to strong W-SW winds over the past few days may have formed thin, dense wind slabs. Watch for stiffer surface snow, wind texture, and cracks shooting out from your skis or boards. Think about the consequences of triggering a small wind slab avalanche before committing to serious, consequential terrain. 

Avalanche Discussion

SEASONAL UNCERTAINTY

A few days ago, we were freezing our butts off in the mountains. Yesterday, it was raining at 8500', and wet avalanches littered the Sawtooths and Wood River Valley and blocked Warm Springs Road. So what gives? The snowpack doesn't like wild weather swings like this. 

When I see rapid changes like those over the past few days, I dial my travel plans back. The snowpack is presenting a lot of uncertainty that didn't exist last weekend. Get out and have fun in the mountains, but you probably want to reset your "baseline" to questioning stability versus assuming it's stable until proven otherwise. The benign conditions of recent weeks are in the rearview mirror for now; add some safety margin to your plans and travel routes while the fickle spring weather continues. 

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