Avalanche forecast

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Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Today's combination of strong winds and new snow will build thin, stiff drifts in terrain exposed to the wind. These slabs will be small, but may be easy to trigger, thanks to the weak snow underneath. In areas sheltered from the wind, generally stable avalanche conditions exist, and large avalanches are unlikely. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Today's weak storm will bring 2-5 inches of new snow and strong winds blowing out of the W/SW. This combination will build small but sensitive drifts in terrain exposed to the wind. Thanks to the strength of the wind, these drifts are likely to be relatively stiff. You may find them in atypical locations, such as in middle elevation terrain that is generally sheltered from the effects of the wind. Though these slabs will be small and isolated, they may be large enough to knock you off your feet and carry you through some unpleasant terrain. Be alert to the consequences of triggering one of these thin slabs if you are traveling in steep, rocky, treed terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

In addition to the wind slabs described above, here is another potential hazard to keep in mind if you're traveling in this zone today:

Cornices: Today's new snow and wind will add a bit more mass to some of the impressive cornices that exist in this Zone. These conditions will also make it more difficult to tell if you are traveling along a snow-covered ridgeline or out on a massive cornice. Cornices behave in unpredictable ways and your best bet for not getting tangled up with one is to avoid traveling on top of them.

You can quickly catch up on what happened this past week in my latest Weekend Update video.

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