Avalanche forecast

The Avalanche Hazard is LOW with mostly stable snow conditions across the PAC advisory area.  You may encounter small wind slabs at or near ridgelines, these are likely to be thin and may or may not be reactive to the weight of a skier or snowmobile.  Small, loose snow avalanches in very steep, wind-protected terrain are possible also.  Please remember that Low Hazard does not mean no hazard,  even small avalanches can have negative outcomes in committing terrain or in terrain traps.

Today's advisory is sponsored by Brundage Mountain Resort, Thank you for supporting the Payette Avalanche Center.

The storms that are entering our area recently continue to be underwhelming and have not added much new snow or changed the conditions dramatically.  Shallow avalanche problems continue to be a consideration.  You may encounter thin, sensitive pockets of windblown snow(wind slabs) near ridges or on exposed terrain features.  Based on the amount of wind we have had over the last few weeks, it is definitely something to think about as you travel, especially if you are in steep leeward terrain.  Having the rug yanked out from under you in committing terrain could have a bad outcome.  Sluffing or dry loose avalanches are still possible in steep, wind-protected areas.  The snow that we have received over the last week and a half has started to bond more to the old snow below but is still moving on steeper terrain as you ski or ride.  Similar to the wind slab concern, these won't likely be big enough to bury you but they may push you around or send you off course. 

Overall, our current snowpack is pretty solid with weak layers confined to the upper foot.  The new snow is bonding to the crust below in most places, it has also settled into about 6-8 inches of mostly unconsolidated snow(no slab formation).  One thing to remember about a low tide/high pressure dominated winter is that it does create a lot of variability in the snowpack and a variety of snow surface conditions, if we get back into the storm track conditions could get spicy pretty quickly.

The February water report came out this week too, it shows the Payette Basin and the Salmon Basin holding pretty strong just below and right around 90 of average(see the graphic below).  Weather models are mostly in agreement that March will bring more precipitation than we have had in January and February but amounts are still up in the air.  If we don't see accumulations over the next month, our water report for March will show significant decreases compared to the average totals.

One of our sponsors, OnXBackcountry has partnered with the Payette Avalanche Center. For each membership purchased with promo codePAYETTE20 for onX Backcountry or PAYETTESLEDS20 for onX Offroad you get a 20% discount. Plus, a 20% donation goes back to the Payette Avalanche Center upon purchase, so you’ll be directly supporting avalanche forecasts. 

*** Check out our Observations Page to see what others are seeing...We are always looking for more Information from snowmobilers and skiers on snow and weather conditions. These observations help our forecasts and they help other users in and outside of the community. It can be quick with or without a photo…Use the Observations link at the top of the page to submit your observations. 

***Motorized users, please be aware that there are some areas of the Payette National Forest that are closed to motorized use, some of these closures are to protect wildlife and some are to protect other recreators.  Check out the Winter Travel Map below for details

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd891395.pdf