Avalanche forecast

Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
4 · High
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Highlights

Stay off of and out from beneath steep slopes. Very large natural avalanches could occur. Avalanches will be easy to trigger remotely—from flat terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    2–3.5

    The mountains received 3-4.5+ inches of water (2.5-5 feet of snowfall) in the past 5 days. While intense precipitation has ended, slopes that have not avalanched are teetering on the brink of failure. Wind loading from strong SW and W wind, calving cornices, or sunny weather may push slopes over the edge. 

    The intense multi-day storm is overwhelming, very weak snow that formed during the month-long drought, including surface hoar, facets, and facet + crust combinations. These layers exist on many slopes, the weakest of which are found at middle and low elevations. Before the weak layer was buried, it appeared to be one of the worst we've seen in recent years. 

    Heavily wind-loaded slopes can produce avalanches that run "full track" to the valley floors.  The travel advice is simple: stay far away from steep slopes and the areas beneath them.  

    (2/3/2025) Remotely triggered avalanche on W aspect at 9,200' near Galena Pass. Photo: Ben VandenBos

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    2

    If the sun comes out this afternoon, expect loose snow avalanches and cornice failures. These will initiate on very steep, rocky slopes that directly face the sun. While these may be large in their own right, they have a high potential to trigger much larger slab avalanches as they move downslope. The onset of this type of problem is sudden and offers little warning. Low elevation rain and warm temperatures have pushed meltwater into the snowpack. The sun will continue that process today, increasing the chance we see some large natural wet slab avalanches. 

Avalanche Discussion

The brunt of the storm is moving east, but very dangerous avalanche conditions remain. Here are some highlights since the start of the storm on Friday afternoon:

Sunday:

  • A large natural avalanche ran to the valley floor and blocked Warm Springs road near Frenchman Bend (photo).
  • A skier triggered a large avalanche that ran about 2000 vertical feet in "The Burn," the out-of-bounds backcountry/sidecountry terrain near Bald Mountain. Fortunately, the skier was not caught and carried by the avalanche. 

Monday:

  • A large avalanche released naturally on Della Mtn above Hailey, briefly blocking the Wood River (observation). We observed several other natural avalanches in Croy Canyon.
  • A skier remotely triggered avalanches along Titus Ridge (observation).

Yesterday:

  • A large avalanche slammed into the back of a house on Warm Springs Rd near Penny Lake. Thankfully, no significant damage was reported, and no one was injured.
  • Yesterday, skiers near Hyndman Ck remote triggered multiple large avalanches and observed several other recent natural avalanches (observation).
  • Soldier Mountain Cat Ski reported widespread natural avalanche activity that they estimate occurred in the early morning hours (photo).

If you're out playing in the hills, carefully plan your day to stay off of, out from below, and far away from steep slopes.  

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