Avalanche forecast

Sawtooth & Western Smoky Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Generally stable avalanche conditions exist, and large avalanches are unlikely. You may be able to trigger small avalanches in isolated areas where the wind has drifted snow, and loose snow avalanches are possible on very steep slopes. These slides could be large enough to knock you off your sled or feet and carry you where you don't want to go. 

Avalanche Discussion

LOW danger means large avalanches are unlikely, but the few human-triggered avalanches over the past week are a good reminder that we need to continue traveling with our avalanche radars "turned on". This is especially true in alpine or high-consequence terrain. A few things to consider while you're out riding and sliding today: 

WIND SLABS: Saturday, a skier triggered a wind slab avalanche (crown photo, debris photo) near Imogene Peak in the southern Sawtooth Mtns. The skier was able to escape the small slide that broke about a foot deep and 50' wide.  Look for similar slabs in exposed terrain, predominantly at upper elevations. What do the wind slabs look like? Surface texture such as ripples or dunes indicates the wind has transported snow. Be alert to changes in how the snow feels as well. If it quickly gets denser and stiffer, you probably found an isolated slab. The slabs overlie weak, faceted snow on some slopes and could be easier to trigger than you'd expect.

LOOSE SNOW AVALANCHES: Observers have been reporting "sluffy" conditions in very steep (>40 degrees) terrain. The "recycled powder" and little bit of recent new snow can produce small loose snow avalanches when "disturbed" by a skier or rider. Warm temperatures and muted sunshine may be enough to release natural loose snow avalanches on very steep slopes that are sheltered from the wind. In the wrong terrain, getting knocked over by one of these small slides could ruin your day. 

DEEP PERSISTENT SLABS: Weak, faceted snow exists near the base of the snowpack on shady, middle and upper elevation slopes. Triggering a deep persistent slab avalanche on this layer is unlikely, but it's not impossible on slopes with the following characteristics:

  • Very steep: slopes steeper than about 35 degrees.
  • Rocky: slopes with variable snow cover due to the roughness of the terrain.
  • Wind-affected: slopes where December and January's strong winds produced variable snow depths.

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