Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Avalanches are unlikely in the majority of terrain today. Several inches of recent snow and wind have formed isolated pockets of unstable wind slab less than a foot deep above 8000’. Cracking in the snow around your skis means that you have found one of these pockets. Use caution in terrain where getting knocked off your feet could have high consequences. 

A prolonged period of mostly dry weather beginning on January 10th has created generally stable conditions across the region. Only 4-6 inches of snow has been recorded since then. This snow has been recently redistributed by periods of strong westerly winds where shallow slabs have formed in isolated terrain features. Shooting cracks and several small, human triggered avalanches have been reported within the past 72 hours. Pockets of unstable wind slab will be small and are getting harder to trigger, but may hold the potential to knock a rider off their feet. Therefore, it is worth keeping your guard up above cliffs or gullies where a small slide could be dangerous. Small loose snow avalanches involving sugary facets near the surface are also possible in very steep, shaded terrain that is sheltered from the wind.

These small and isolated avalanches are good reminders that unstable snow can be found, even in periods of low danger. Keeping your guard up in consequential terrain, watching your partners, and stopping in safe zones remains a good call today. Please consider submitting an observation here if you are out in the mountains. Observations help us make a better avalanche forecast. Thank you!