Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Conditions are generally safe and avalanches are unlikely.  Use normal backcountry caution and watch for small, isolated pockets of fresh drifting from last night's wind.

Tomorrow is our last daily Avalanche Forecast of the season. We will issue General Avalanche Information on Monday and Friday of next week.

The snowpack is generally stable and avalanches are unlikely. Continue to use normal backcountry caution—make a plan before heading out, carry the appropriate avalanche safety equipment, and remain alert for unexpected conditions. Put in plain words—keep your wits about you and don't get lazy!

Last night's cold front brought strong winds that may have created small, fresh drifts. With very little loose snow available to be blown around, these will be very isolated. Colder temperatures—both last night and today—should put an end to wet snow problems. 

Catch up on the recent conditions in Ben's latest Weekend Update. In this extended update, he'll also cover what to expect this spring and some tips for evaluating the avalanche hazard once the forecast has ended.

A QUICK SEASON RECAPAt this point in the season, we're always asking ourselves "where did the winter go?" November is full of possibility for the winter ahead, and then, before we know it, it's over. If you want a quick trip down memory lane, read on.

This winter was divided into two very distinct halves. October storms provided a solid start to the season, and everyone was certain this was a harbinger of an epic, record-setting winter. Things dried out considerably in November, creating a well-developed weak layer near the base of the snowpack. December 11 to January 7 was one of the snowiest in memory. An estimated 100” (on Baldy) to 200” (Vienna Mine) of snow fell during this period, coming in three distinct 5-7 day storm cycles. Most SNOTEL stations were sitting at 70-80% of normal snowpack prior to this period and were 140-150% of average when the dust settled on January 7th. 

Not surprisingly, these large storms falling on a well-developed weak layer produced dangerous conditions and significant avalanche cycles. Our first Avalanche Forecasts of the season came out on December 13 with HIGH danger in three out of four zones. An Avalanche Warning was issued the next day. The avalanche danger remained elevated—CONSIDERABLE or HIGH—for most of the first month of the forecast season. Avalanche activity during this period was fairly extensive, with four slides triggered remotely from lower angled terrain. 

The second half of the winter arrived unceremoniously on January 7th. Unbeknownst to us at that point, we would see very little snowfall for the remainder of the winter. Looking back now, we received 4 to 6 times as much snow during the first half compared to the second. The drought hit the Wood River Valley particularly hard—less than 16" of snow fell during this 3-month period. This dry spell created a number of weak layers near the surface of the snowpack, but the right combination of slab and weak layer remained elusive. We had a handful of small to medium-sized natural and triggered slides, but the danger remained LOW to MODERATE. The March 23-28 heatwave produced a short-lived bump in avalanche danger due to wet slide concerns, but we were back to LOW once the snowpack froze.

Tomorrow (Sunday, April 10) will be our 126th (and last) daily Avalanche Forecast of the season. We issued twice as many LOW danger forecasts compared to the previous two seasons, with a full half of the forecasts in the Soldier & Wood River Valley zone being rated LOW. We'll be ending the season at 50-80% of median snowpack for the second winter in a row.