Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Be on the lookout for pockets of wind-drifted snow and small, loose snow sluffs in steep terrain. Small slides can pick up speed quickly thanks to the firm, icy surfaces underneath. Generally stable conditions exist and large avalanches are unlikely.

Last night's storm brought 1-3" of new snow to this zone! You read that right, it actually snowed here. This isn't enough snow to drastically change the avalanche conditions you'll encounter today, but it may help improve the skiing and riding a bit. It has been 6.5 weeks since this zone picked up a significant amount of new snow so it will look a little different out there today, here's what to look for if you head out in this zone:

FRESH WIND SLABS:  Last night's snow was coupled with calm to light winds. However, just to the south, there are moderate to strong winds blowing along the Snake River Plain. If this fast-moving air clips the mountains it won't have any trouble blowing the new snow around. This zone also tends to have some hard-to-forecast drainage winds that move snow around at lower and middle elevations. Any fresh slabs you encounter today are likely to be quite small, but they may be reactive, thanks to the widespread weak snow that exists in this zone. Keep your eyes peeled for small, freshly forming slabs here. If you see snow blowing around you can expect that slabs are forming somewhere. Use features like drifts and pillows of snow and dunes and ripples on the surface of the snow to help you to identify these fresh slabs. Look for slabs and drifts near features that slow the wind down and force it to deposit the snow it is carrying. If the snow you are traveling in suddenly becomes much deeper or increases in stiffness you've likely found a wind slab. Cracks shooting out from your board or your skis are a clear sign that the slab you've found is reactive. 

OLD WIND SLABS: Moderate to strong winds blowing in the mountains last week built a few generations of dense, stiff wind slabs. In most areas, these have had time to bond to the snow they are sitting on. However, in places where they are resting on well-developed weak layers, they may still be reactive to your weight. The snow that fell last night may make these slabs a bit harder to identify visually. 

While large avalanches are unlikely today, even small slides can ruin your day (or worse). Be mindful of the consequences of being caught in a small avalanche in the terrain that you are traveling through. Think about the objects you might be dragged through/over (rocks, cliff bands, trees, etc.) and where you might be deposited (terrain traps, creek beds, etc.). We encourage you to continue to use your safe travel protocols, even during periods of LOW danger; only expose one person to avalanche hazard at a time, keep a close eye on your partners, and carry your rescue gear and know how to use it. Now is a great time to practice using these skills.