Avalanche forecast

Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could trigger a large avalanche on shady slopes (NW-N-NE-E facing) at mid and upper elevations. In these areas, slides can be triggered remotely—from flatter terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes. Small wind drifts that formed overnight are likely to be small, but will be sensitive to your weight and can knock you off your feet. Safer conditions exist in south-facing terrain at low and middle elevations.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Where October snow lingered through November's warm temps and dry weather, it turned into a mess of slick crusts and sugary facets. This old snow is now buried beneath a 1.5-2' slab on most mid to upper elevation shady slopes. Yesterday, Sun Valley Ski Patrol on Bald Mountain reported receiving consistent unstable snowpack test scores in the terrain on the north side of the mountain, outside of the resort boundary. Yesterday's few inches of new snow isn't helping to give this weak snow the break it needs.

    While we've shaded the problem rose above to depict where you're most likely to trigger an avalanche, any slope harboring old snow (appearing as a mix of facets and/or crusts near the ground) is suspect. The difference between slopes that has old October snow and those that don't is fairly stark (watch video at right/above). Folks are finding safer avalanche conditions on low and middle elevation slopes that are southerly-facing and hence lack the old October snow.

    Additional Discussion: With a few more inches of snow yesterday and sustained winds you're likely to find thin, fresh slabs in this area today. These slabs aren't likely to be large, but they will be big enough to knock you off your feet if you aren't paying attention.

    We're still lacking data in the Soldiers where access to the high country remains challenging. It is a safe bet if you do make it into the upper elevations, you will find the same weak snow from October described above. And please, let us know what you see!

Avalanche Discussion

PATTERNS ON PATTERNS For the past week, the picture in our area has been relatively simple, but not particularly pretty. Weak snow from October is buried on shaded middle elevation slopes and most upper elevation slopes. The best recipe for avoiding an avalanche problem was to avoid areas where this snow exists beneath the new snow that fell this week. Many folks have reported enjoying excellent skiing and riding conditions and good stability in areas free of the weak snow underneath. See, pretty simple. 

Yesterday's weather changed this picture, particularly in areas where more snow fell. A fresh round of wind slabs exist and will continue to grow throughout the day. These slabs are likely to be sensitive to your weight, particularly where they were deposited on subtle crusts and small facets that were generated during the cold, clear weather earlier this week. As the picture becomes more complicated, the amount of terrain that is available to us becomes more limited. In addition, our focus needs to be split in multiple directions: we are paying close attention to whether or not the slope we are on has old snow underneath and we are also thinking about the presence of wind slabs at the surface. When the backcountry world gets more complex taking a step back is generally a good idea. I'll be heading into the mountains today with this mindset, its a different world than it was yesterday.

Regions covered