Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Large avalanches are possible in upper elevation terrain where the wind formed stiff drifts or slabs on top of old snow that fell in November and early December. Avalanches are unlikely in the vast majority of this zone—there is little to no snow.

We will begin issuing daily Avalanche Forecasts with Danger Ratings when snow cover allows for reasonable backcountry recreational access. 

In this zone, shady slopes (NW-N-NE-E aspects) above about 8500 ft, and especially near and above 9000 ft, retained November snow. The past week's snowfall, wind, and warm temperatures may have formed slabs in the same terrain. If you are willing to put in the work to get to upper elevation terrain, you may find the slab + weak layer setup needed to trigger an avalanche. 

• The slab: You're most likely to find slabs in wind loaded terrain, but they may exist in sheltered terrain as well. Be on the lookout for stiff, smooth pillows of snow on the more sheltered sides of ridgelines and large terrain features.  
• The weak layer: You can use your boots, hands, or poles to quickly check for "old snow"—crusts and/or weak, gray, sugary facets—beneath the more recent storm or wind-driven snow. 

Cracks shooting out from you and "whumpfing" sounds as the snowpack collapses are red flags that indicate unstable conditions.  Avoid steep slopes if you experience these obvious signs of instability. Triggered slides could be wider than you expect. You may be able to trigger avalanches remotely—from gentler terrain above, below, or to the sides of steep slopes.

Where in this zone are you most likely to find trouble: slopes facing the northern half of the compass at upper elevations on Bald Mountain, in the Soldier Mountains, near Dollarhide Summit, and near the border of the Galena Summit & Eastern Mountains zone. These areas are most likely to harbor both old snow (weak layers) and wind-drifted snow (slabs). Read the Galena Summit & Eastern Mountains zone forecast for more information.

There is an outside chance of smaller, wet loose avalanches today. These slides are most likely on steep S-SW-W facing slopes while they directly face the sun.If you see pinwheels, rollerballs, or small natural avalanches, it's time to move to colder, more shaded slopes.