Avalanche forecast

Avalanche forecast

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago.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

Highlights

Strong winds have likely formed small, shallow wind slabs that may have formed over slick crusts and sensitive to the weight of a person. Sunny skies may help loosen up the snow surface and produce small loose-wet avalanches on steep solar aspects.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Winds were so strong Sunday night/ Monday morning that even with the strong melt-freeze from the weekend up until now having locked up much of the soft snow surface, we are still going to find shallow wind slabs that formed over the last 48 hours. Tamarack Resort recorded gusts around 70 MPH, and McCall had gusts around 60 MPH. Most of the strong winds came out of the South-Southwest, but don't take that as a rule of thumb as local terrain can directly influence the direction that the wind will load, which can be completely different. The recent little skiff of snow came in cold, and slabs that developed may be resting on slick solar and wind crusts, and therefore not bonded that great, and could be sensitive to the weight of a person.

    If you are noticing shooting cracks in the snow surface, are hearing hollow whoomphing sounds, or are noticing drifting or sculpting you are likely getting into wind-affected terrain. Avoid leeward slopes that are wind-loaded. Cornices may have also formed new lips, and may also be sensitive near their edges.

    Gusts at the Granite Mountain Weatherstaton. 7,600 Feet.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Re-stock the Sunblock, we are going back to Sunny days this week. Wet-loose avalanche activity should be pretty small today.  Steep Solar aspects have seen a good amount of heat Saturday and Sunday and should have shed most of their snow.  If you are sinking in past your ankles or seeing red flags like wet-loose avalanche activity like point releases and rollerballs, choose a different slope to play on that is not getting direct sunlight. 

Avalanche Discussion

This past Saturday and Sunday it was hot! Monday was windy and cold, and the storm failed to put down anymore than a skiff of snow. Strong winds dominated the mountains Sunday evening. This week we will return to our really low avalanche hazard in the morning (sleds overheating), and the avalanche hazard rising through the day as the sun loosens up the snow surface and produces wet-loose avalanche activity.

$$$Don't throw caution to the wind during LOW danger, stack the odds in your favor. A slope only needs to have an angle of 30 degrees to produce an avalanche...Check your aspect and slope angle regularly. Across the U. S. we have had 36 avalanche fatalities so far this year. It is always a good idea to travel on slopes steeper than 30 degrees one at a time. Make sure all of your partners are carrying first aid gear as well as an avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel, and that it is in a backpack on you in case your snowmobile gets buried.

We will issue our last advisory for the season on Saturday, April 10th. We would like to thank everyone for their support and observations, and for staying safe during an especially dangerous winter!  

  OBSERVATIONS – Please keep sharing your observations and information on instabilities and incidents. Your observations are very important to our operations and help everyone who looks at them. We have been experiencing some bugs with our observation page. If you are having difficulty submitting your observations, please email your information and photos with as much information as you can to [email protected].   MOTORIZED CLOSURES – Motorized closures are in effect in a few areas on the Payette National Forest.  Areas around Brundage Mountain Resort, on Granite Mountain, on Jughandle Mountain, in the Lick Creek area, and a few other areas are closed to motorized travel. Not all of these closures are signed, or signs may be easy to miss.  Please refer to the Winter Travel Map to find out where you can shred on your sled or moto. You can also download this map on your phone using the Avenza app.  Please respect other users and these closures where they exist.   SURVEYS – Our colleagues at the Wallowa Avalanche Center are seeking to gain a better understanding of how backcountry travelers use the avalanche forecast and have released this survey. Reach out to [email protected] with questions. Also, researchers from the University of Montana and the University of Nevada, Reno are looking into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected backcountry skiing and snowboarding. That survey is available here.   DONATE – We rely on your support so please reach out to the Friends of the PAC, or click Donate above, to help us provide you with the info you need to be safe in the mountains.