Avalanche forecast

Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Large avalanches are unlikely today. Wet snow avalanches will become possible as the day warms up. These will be most likely on slopes getting hit by the sun, and on all lower elevation slopes. Isolated wind drifts may still be sensitive to triggering in upper elevation terrain. 

If you are traveling in the Pioneer Mountains, refer to the forecast for the Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Sunshine and warm temperatures in the forecast today put wet loose snow avalanches back on the menu. There are two main flavors you could find today:

    • At middle and upper elevations, loose snow avalanches could involve the recent snow that fell since the weekend. As the newer snow becomes moist or wet, it will have a tendency to sluff downhill. This will be more likely on E and W-facing slopes that are transitioning from dry to wet snow, but could extend into S aspects too.
    • At lower into middle elevations, the spring transition has lead to a snowpack that is wet to the ground. With a weak freeze overnight, the thin surface crust is likely to melt quickly as the day warms. Especially in the southern part of this zone where the snowpack is shallow and weaker, this type of wet slide could gouge down to the ground once it gets moving.

    Both are possible today on steep slopes—especially those getting direct sun. Wet slides often release naturally, so keep an eye on what's above you. I wouldn't expect either of these scenarios to produce large wet slides, but that's not to say that I'd want to get tangled up with one. 

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    To find a wind slab that's still reactive to your weight, you'd need a slope where a recently-formed or older wind drift sits atop weak, faceted snow that formed during the February drought. Although this scenario is isolated, here are some questions to ask yourself. Have I found evidence of wind drifting? Is the slope angle approaching 40 degrees? Can I feel weaker snow beneath the denser slab? On Thursday, a skier on Galena Summit found these conditions and intentionally triggered a small wind slab that was 18” thick. So if the answer to these questions is "yes", it will be a good slope to avoid. If you're unsure, or the slope has poor consequences, then better to err on the side of caution.

    If you are traveling in the Pioneer Mountains, refer to the forecast for the Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns to read about the persistent slab problem you may encounter.

Avalanche Discussion

We're solidly in the throes of spring. The weather can change from minute to minute, and you can find different snowpack conditions from one step to the next. These changes may not always mean an increase in avalanche hazard, but it's important to recognize when they do. Here's what I found yesterday:

As I left the car and ventured into the lower elevations, I found a spring snowpack that was wet to the ground. Luckily, cold temperatures overnight had created a surface crust that supported my weight. This crust will likely be thinner this morning, and as it gets thawed by valley temps reaching the mid-40s F, wet slides will become possible on very steep slopes. In the southern portion of the forecast area, the lower elevation snowpack—where it still exists—is thin and weak and wet slides could gouge down to the ground.

As I climbed into the middle and upper elevations, I finally found dry snow on northerly-facing slopes. Pokes of my ski pole revealed weaker, faceted snow about 12-14 inches deep. This layer formed during the February drought and was buried earlier this month. Snowpack tests didn't produce poor results, and I didn't see any other sign of instability. Still, I asked myself: "Where would this problem be worse?" The easy answer is where the storms since last weekend produced more new snow. The SE corner of the forecast area (the Little Wood drainage, the Pioneer Mtns, and near Bald Mtn) picked up 16-20 inches during these storms, and several larger, natural slides occurred as a result. Another area of concern is where recently-formed or older wind slabs sit atop this faceted weak layer.

Since it's my job and I'm a glutton for punishment, I also ventured onto sunnier aspects at middle and upper elevations. On E and W-facing slopes, I found that the snow that fell since last weekend was transitioning from dry powder to moist, sticky glop or consisted of a breakable crust. As the sun hits these slopes today, and the dry-to-wet transition proceeds, wet loose snow sluffs may become possible—especially on very steep, rocky slopes. 

While places where you could trigger a larger avalanche are mostly limited to the SE corner of the forecast area, my day yesterday was a reminder that there are smaller problems to keep your eye on. Never a dull moment in the spring!

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