Avalanche forecast

Avalanche forecast

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Northern winds have created stiff wind slabs in exposed and leeward terrain, most recently on some South facing slopes. Use caution in wind-loaded and exposed terrain, especially in and around cornices.

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The winds were gusting out of the North into the 30 mph range on Valentine's day giving us the gift of widespread wind-affected snow surfaces in upper-elevation terrain. Yesterday in our travels we did not see any natural avalanche evidence, but we could see ripples on East faces, and cornice lips hanging on unusual Southeast aspects. 

    Use good travel protocols like only having one person on slopes steeper than 30 degrees, especially in and around ridgelines and cornices on all aspects above 7,000 feet.  The chances are trending towards unlikely that you will trigger a wind slab or see any red flags like cracking, but not completely impossible. 

    (2/15/2023)

    Winds from all over the compass have created some intimidating cornices that are hanging over not only Northern aspects like this on Squaw Point, but on Some Southern aspects also.

    Photo: KS

Avalanche Discussion

Today's Forecast is sponsored by Brundage Mountain Resort. Thank You for supporting the Payette Avalanche Center!

Skiers have reported variable wind-affected snow surfaces on most aspects with the best snow being in middle elevation North aspects. The Sun will be forming more crusts in the next couple of days and has left us with a 1cm thick crust that formed this past weekend before getting buried on slopes that tip toward the Sun and may become a future concern. 

The winds have left us with slabs being our primary concern, but keep in mind that the temps have been cold and we have seen some weak layers in the upper foot of the snowpack. Our test pits have shown hard to no results of propagating fractures on buried weak layers of surface hoar and near-surface facets that were catching people last Monday. 

Just because the danger is lowering a bit, don't lower your good travel protocols like putting more than one person on a slope steep enough to slide.