Avalanche forecast

Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Triggering large avalanches is not out of the question. You can greatly reduce your risk by avoiding steep, wind-affected, rocky slopes. You could trigger slides remotely—from flat terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Triggering a large avalanche remains possible on middle and upper elevation slopes with wind-affected snow surfaces. There are two sets of weak interfaces to be aware of:

    1. Rain crusts or crust + facet combinations—Found in the upper half of the snowpack on most middle elevation slopes. Evidence suggests that these are healing, but their high variability with elevation and aspect makes their behavior hard to predict. 
    2. Weak sugary facets—Found near the ground on middle and upper elevation slopes, especially those facing away from the sun. Triggering a slide on this layer is most likely in windy and/or rocky areas where the snowpack depth is variable and in more sheltered terrain where the snowpack is around 3 feet deep.

    Additional Discussion: You may be able to trigger wind slab avalanches that formed near ridgelines and in cross-loaded areas on the sides of gullies.  Look for recent cornice growth, dunes, or ripples in the snow surface. These are signs the wind has been at work, transporting snow.

     

    (12/30/2025) Large avalanche in Wilson Ck and another on Duncan Ridge. Photo: Sawtooth Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Today's cloudy weather and light snowfall will do little to change the avalanche equation. If the storm accelerates, and you're out near dark, be alert to thin, freshly forming wind slabs. Observations indicate that older wind slabs, which formed over the weekend, are healing and difficult to trigger. 

Whether it's thin Wind Slabs or a much larger Persistent Slab, avoiding steep, rocky slopes with stiff slabs near the surface will reduce the odds you find trouble. 

Regions covered