Avalanche forecast

Salmon River Mountains

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Tricky conditions exist, and triggering slides large enough to bury people remains possible today. Weak layers are present in the top 1-3 feet of the snowpack on slopes above 6,500 feet, and multiple human-triggered avalanches have occurred over the past three days. You may be able to trigger slides remotely: from flatter terrain above, below, or to the side of a steep slope. Large avalanches are most likely in wind-loaded terrain, but are possible on sheltered slopes too.   Safer conditions—and the best skiing and riding—can be found on gentler slopes sheltered from the wind.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Triggering a large avalanche 1-3 feet deep is possible above 6,500 feet on exposed wind-exposed slopes. 1.5-2.5 feet of snowfall over the past week buried a variety of snow surfaces, including surface hoar, near-surface facets, and crusts. This interface (buried on 2/14) has been responsible for large, natural, and human-triggered avalanches each day since burial. The distribution, character, and sensitivity of the weak layers vary from slope to slope. Your best bet is to assume this problem exists until proven otherwise, apart from on due south or southeasterly slopes, where no activity on these layers has been observed. Given the nature of the weak layers, you could remotely trigger avalanches from gentle terrain above, below, or to the sides of steep slopes. Avalanches could be triggered by the second, third, or fourth rider on a slope.

    Triggering an even larger persistent slab avalanche on weak layers buried on 2/8 is less likely, but not entirely out of the question. This layer of weaker snow is more variable in distribution and is buried deeply, about 2.5-3+ feet from the snow surface. This problem exists on shaded slopes at middle and upper elevations facing NW-N-NE; fewer avalanches have been noted on it. 

    Reduce your risk by avoiding slopes steeper than about 35 degrees—especially terrain traps or other avalanche path features with ugly consequences if you are caught in a slide. 

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Triggering a wind slab avalanche ~12-18 inches deep is possible above 7,500 feet. These avalanches are most likely near ridgelines, beneath cornices, and on the sides of cross-loaded gullies. This problem is most hazardous where it overlaps with the problem above.  Avoid slopes steep enough to slide where you see evidence of wind loading, such as dunes, drifts, pillows, or feel denser/stiffer snow beneath your board(s) or sled. 

    (2/21/2026)

    A recent wind slab avalanche near Fisher Creek was observed on 2/21.

Avalanche Discussion

Though we are five days out from any snowfall, multiple human-triggered avalanches continue to be reported daily. This should be your sign that conditions remain sketchy, and recent warming temperatures and wind will keep this snowpack on edge. Many folks think of weak, faceted snow as an early-season phenomenon, but the clear nights and temperature swings of February can be perfect for forming facet layers at the surface of the snowpack. Oftentimes, these facet layers are mixed in with crusts formed by the sun and warming. During the first half of February, an alternating pattern of a larger storm and clear, cold weather created the most reactive of these weak layers. Consistent snowfall in the second half of February has now buried this weak snow beneath a 1- to 3-foot-thick slab. 

Persistent weak layers exist throughout the forecast area at middle and upper elevations. They will remain more active where they are buried slightly more shallowly. Late February persistent slab problems make me nervous, especially when they follow an extended period of relative stability like we experienced all of January. We all seem to understand that these problems are "normal" during the early-winter, and we get in the habit of choosing mellow terrain. But by February, things can feel spring-like, and we expect a more stable snowpack and smaller, more manageable avalanche problems. Quite often that's the case—but not always. Strings of near-miss accidents and tragic avalanche fatalities have been the story across the Western US over the past week. Play it safe today by adhering to safe travel practices with your group and avoiding steep, wind-loaded slopes that are protected from the sun and wind.

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