Avalanche forecast

Banner Summit

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You are most likely to trigger avalanches where the wind has formed drifts or stiffened the snow surface. The fresh slabs are largest and most widespread in upper-elevation terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent snowfall and shifting W-NW-N-NE wind formed fresh wind slabs in exposed terrain. Yesterday, snowmobilers triggered small wind slab avalanches in the southern Sawtooths. One rider was caught and carried but was unharmed (photo above/right, report). In the Smoky Mountains near Titus Peak, skiers remote triggered a large avalanche from a low angle ridgeline (report). Over the past few days, multiple large natural avalanches released in wind-loaded upper elevation terrain of the Sawtooths and Smokys (list). 

    Wind slabs formed atop a variety of weak snow layers, including facets on shadier slopes and facets or crusts on sunnier W-SW-S-SE aspects. Because of these weak layers, slabs may be more sensitive to triggering than you might expect. Erratic wind and ongoing light snowfall will make wind-loaded slopes hard to identify. Look carefully for drifts and pillows of snow below exposed ridgelines, on the sides of gullies or chutes, and near large terrain features. While more prevalent at upper elevations, some slabs may exist on windier middle elevation slopes. Cracks shooting out from your skis or sled are an obvious sign of instability. 

    A snowmobiler was caught and carried in this small wind slab avalanche in the Alturas Lake Ck Drainage of the Sawtooth Mountains. They were not buried or injured. The slide released on a N-facing slope at about 9,100'.

Avalanche Discussion

Steering clear of recently formed drifts and slabs is the most effective way to stay out of trouble. While minor, there is one other scenario to keep in mind as you prepare to head into the mountains:

  • Loose Snow Avalanches: Over a foot of snow has fallen here since Sunday. This recent low-density snow sits atop extremely weak facets on some NW-N-NE-E facing slopes. On very steep slopes approaching 40 degrees, it won't take much to get surficial sluffs moving (photo). A little bit of direct sunshine, rapid snowfall, or some wind-blown snow sifting onto a steep slope could trigger natural loose snow avalanches. These probably won't be big enough to bury you, but they can pack a punch and could knock you over, pushing you where you don't want to go. Sluffs have the potential to trigger wind slab avalanches when recent winds formed stiff drifts lower in cirques and on the aprons of chutes and couloirs. 

Pay attention to the terrain above you. Remember that even small avalanches can have bad outcomes in complex terrain. Before committing to skiing or riding a slope, think about where an avalanche could carry you. Could you get pushed over cliffs, through trees, or into creeks or gullies? Slopes with these terrain traps are inherently more dangerous than open slopes with a clean runout.

Regions covered