Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

There's a lingering chance of triggering a large slide in very steep, rocky, wind-affected terrain. Look for thin drifts in exposed middle and upper elevation terrain. While small and isolated, recent drifts and slabs may be easy to trigger. You are unlikely to trigger avalanches in areas sheltered from the wind. 

Despite the prolonged dry spell, the snowpack here is around 115% of normal. Thankfully, the strong start to the winter was enough to endure the past 4 weeks of mostly dry weather. I pulled data from the SNOTEL weather station on Galena Summit yesterday. Check out this plot to see how we compare to the 30-year average. 

Very light snow flurries are clearing out of the area this morning. Triggering a large avalanche is unlikely, but here are a few problems to consider as you head into the mountains: 

Persistent Slabs: In this zone, the weak snow near the ground has not "healed" as much as in the mountains to the north and west.  Because we've received almost no snow in the past 3 weeks, triggering a large persistent slab avalanche is unlikely. Although you would have to win the wrong lottery to trigger a big avalanche involving the entire snowpack, it is still worth keeping in mind.

Many local professionals and experienced backcountry travelers continue minimizing time spent in large avalanche paths in shady, middle, and upper elevation terrain—where weak snow exists near the ground— that also has the following characteristics: 

• Steep: slopes steeper than about 35 degrees.
• Rocky: slopes with variable snow cover due to the roughness of the terrain.
• Wind-affected: slopes where December and January's strong winds produced variable snow depths.

Check out Ben's video for a closer look at this setup.

Wind Slabs: Small, skier-triggered avalanches were reported on Monday near Galena Peak, and on Tuesday in Lake Ck north of Ketchum. Yesterday, cracking and collapsing were reported near Galena Pass and near the valley bottom along highway 75 near the headquarters of the SNRA.

These small drifts and slabs are proving to be quite touchy where they rest on faceted snow from the January drought. Keep your eyes peeled for textured, wind-sculpted snow surfaces, especially near exposed ridgelines. Although small, they may be large enough to knock you off your feet. Consider the consequences of triggering a small slide if you are traveling in serious terrain.