Avalanche forecast

Avalanche forecast

Payette Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Loose-dry avalanches are possible on slopes steeper than 35 degrees in the upper 1-2 feet of the snowpack. Triggering a wind slab 1-2 feet deep is possible in exposed terrain near ridgelines and cornices. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Dry

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

    The upper snowpack is loose and dry from cold temps and around a foot of new snow from the last 72 hours. Triggering a loose avalanche anywhere from 1-2 feet deep is possible on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Solar aspects have a crust beneath the foot of new snow that has not bonded well, or faceted, and may fail on steep slopes above and or beneath the crust. Northern or shaded aspects are deeper and have a lot of nice, un-cohesive snow, up to 2 feet deep. 

    Use caution in terrain that is steep (+35 degrees), sustained or long, confined, or exposed to terrain traps like gullies where the snow can pile up and bury you deep are places where sluff management is going to come into play--- The snow can move with you and push you into rocks or other places to avoid.

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds, mainly out of the Southwest, over the last 2 days have been light to moderate reaching into the 20mph range and creating spines and dunes near ridgelines. In the last 24 hours, winds have calmed down a bit, and slabs should be starting to stabilize in most locations. Northern and Eastern aspects are most likely to have the most sensitive slabs near ridgelines, fingers, and cornices where loading and cross loading occurred.

    If you are seeing red flags like cracking find another, lower-angle route or slope to travel on.

Avalanche Discussion

Today's forecast is sponsored by Mile High Powersports on highway 55 just South of McCall. Thank You for supporting the Payette Avalanche Center!

The miracle March of 2023 keeps on delivering the Powder. When the Sun Pops out for just a moment, crusts have formed, most recently on Wednesday. The riding and sliding conditions are soft and good. Slopes steeper than 30 degrees that tilt towards the Sun may give you negative feedback, especially the steeper slopes 35 degrees +. The crust that formed Wednesday is buried beneath around a foot of new snow and is showing some, yet minimal bonding. Weak facets failed in compression, but we were not able to get propagation on it or on anything in our test pits this week.

Every clear period over the last 2 weeks we have had noteworthy surface hoar development, and natural avalanches on these layers that are still visible in snowpits yet laid over and bonded. Keep this in mind as you enter steep terrain, especially sheltered and shaded Northern aspects, and maintain good travel protocols like watching your partners from a safe spot one at a time so that if there is an avalanche only one person is caught.