Avalanche forecast

Sawtooth & Western Smoky Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

A skier was caught and carried in a small wind slab avalanche in a neighboring zone yesterday. While large avalanches are unlikely today, even small avalanches can have high consequences. Triggering small dry snow avalanches—wind slabs and sluffs—is possible on steep slopes.  Cloud cover and cool temperatures should keep wet snow problems at bay today, but you should be on the lookout for the problem if clouds clear earlier than forecast this afternoon.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    This weekend's storm brought 6-10" of snow to this zone, accompanied by periods of moderate to strong winds. I was in the Sawtooths yesterday (observation here) and found that the slabs I encountered were isolated and generally bonded to the surfaces they were sitting on. However, the presence of these slabs was enough to have me pull the plug on my original objective for the day and switch plans to slopes where I could manage the problem better. Today's storm will bring a few more inches of snow and more wind, which will build another batch of wind slabs. These new slabs will be small but may be touchy thanks to the subtle crusts and facets they will be deposited on.

    Yesterday, on very steep slopes that were sheltered from the wind, I found that dry sluffs were easy to get moving. These were small and predictable, but would have been large enough to knock you off your feet and carry you into some unpleasant terrain if you weren't paying attention. Similar slides will be possible again today.

    ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONCloud cover and cold temperatures should keep wet snow problems at bay today. However, if there is more sun than forecast this afternoon it may be possible to trigger a wet loose slide in very steep, rocky terrain that faces the sun. These slides will start at a point and fan out and pick up additional snow as they travel downslope. If you are traveling through low elevation terrain at the end of the day and are finding wet snow without a crust be on the lookout for deeper wet snow problems. You are most likely to encounter a slide like this in very steep terrain.

    (3/19/2021) On Friday, moderate to strong winds were transporting the new snow and forming wind slabs at upper elevations.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday, a skier in the Soldier Mountains triggered and was caught in a wind slab avalanche. The slab broke in a heavily wind-loaded area, failing a reported 1-2' deep at the deepest part of the crown. Based on the location of the slide, it likely failed on a crust that formed during the warm, sunny weather last week. The skier was carried downslope until they got hung up on a small tree while the avalanche flowed around them. The skier's partner had already skied the slope without incident.

This avalanche is a perfect illustration of how we can find ourselves in trouble even during periods of LOW danger. Based on photos, this slide wasn't large enough to bury a person. However, being buried by an avalanche isn't the only way to have your day ruined by a slide. Obstacles like trees and rocks can become quite dangerous if we are carried into them at high speed. In this case, the tree that the skier was pinned against didn't cause any reported injuries, but the outcome could easily have been different. 

This event is a reminder for all of us that we are well-served to keep our guard up even when the avalanche danger is LOW. The mountains are an unforgiving environment, filled with hard objects that we don't want to encounter at high speed. Continue to practice the safe travel habits you've been using all season: travel one at a time, keep your eyes on your partners, and be conscious of the consequences of being caught in a slide in the terrain you are traveling in. 

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