Avalanche forecast

Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

You could trigger avalanches large enough to bury people or vehicles. You may or may not see or hear warning signs before triggering a thick, wide slide. Isolated wet avalanches could release on their own on slopes sheltered from the wind while they are directly facing the sun.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–3

    The odds of triggering large, Persistent Slab avalanches are decreasing, but the consequences remain severe.

    In areas sheltered from the wind, expect to find 1-2.5 foot thick slabs. In terrain affected by the wind, you'll find 2-4 foot thick slabs. The avalanches are failing on a variety of weak layers: facets and/or surface hoar on shadier aspects, and crust+facet combinations on sunnier slopes. Large natural and human-triggered avalanches occured on most aspects in recent weeks. Assume this problem exists on all upper and middle elevation slopes and on shadier, lower elevation aspects.

    Some facts to help you travel safely today:

    • You may or may not experience snowpack cracking or collapsing before triggering a slide. This is disconcerting.
    • You may be able to trigger avalanches remotely—from flat or gentle terrain below, above, or to the sides of steep slopes.
    • Avalanches could break well above you, either while you are descending or at the bottom of a slope.
    • Some recent avalanches were hundreds to thousands of feet wide.

    ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION - WET SLAB: Many large Wet Slab avalanches released on Monday. While we did not observe or receive reports of fresh avalanches yesterday, today's hot, sunny weather could produce some "rogue" Wet Slab avalanches. These beasts are nearly impossible to accurately time and predict on a slope scale. The only way to eliminate the risk is to avoid wind-sheltered avalanche terrain that has produced these avalanches; primarly SE-S-SW-W aspects over 8500'.

    (1/26/2024) This enormous avalanche failed above the N Fk of the Big Wood River. The set of crowns that produced it spread across over a mile of terrain and these slides deposited debris in 4 separate alpine bowls. Based on the location and the appearance of the crown, these slides likely failed on a crust with associated facets. The crown pictured here faces SE-S-SW between 9,300 and 10,000'.

  • Loose Wet

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

    Many wet loose slides released in craggy, alpine terrain in recent days. Isolated wet loose avalanches could release naturally today. Temperatures remained over 32F overnight in many areas, and today will be hot and sunny. Breezy SE winds will keep many slopes cool, but wet loose slides are possible on steep slopes sheltered from the wind while they directly face the sun. The chance of wet avalanches will follow the sun around the compass: E-SE aspects in the morning, SE-S aspects mid-day, and S-SW-W aspects in the afternoon. 

    Avoid slopes where you're sinking more than a few inches into a wet, soggy snowpack. Pay attention to the terrain above you, and don't loiter under large, sun-drenched avalanche paths. 

    These relatively small slides could trigger the destructive Persistent Slab or Wet Slab avalanches described above. 

    (1/29/2024) Multiple small wet slab and wet loose avalanches that ran on a SW aspect near 9800 feet near Senate Ck in the Boulder Mountains on 1/29/24. 

Avalanche Discussion

We've seen countless, impressive Persistent and Wet Slab avalanches in this zone in the past 10 days. While the chances of triggering large slides is gradually decreasing, it is far from zero. The crux: accurately assessing which slopes are still teetering on the edge is quite difficult. 

If you decide to play or travel in significant avalanche terrain, you will be rolling the proverbial dice.  

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