Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Triggering avalanches is possible in the wettest parts of this zone. Conditions are generally stable over the bulk of this zone. Be aware of changing conditions. 

Refer to the Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns forecast if you're traveling in the Soldier Mtns, Dollarhide Summit area, in the Warm Springs drainage, or near the northern border of this zone. We will begin issuing daily Avalanche Forecasts with Danger Ratings when snow cover allows for reasonable backcountry recreational access.

A snowpack exists on many slopes above about 6500' near the Coyote and Tornak huts; in the Warm Springs Ck drainage, including out of bounds on Bald Mountain; in the mountains north of Ketchum; and in the Soldier Mountains. If you're traveling in these areas, refer to the Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns forecast.

At lower elevations and on most southerly-facing slopes, it does not look or feel like winter in this zone. Access and travel remain challenging in many standard recreational play areas due to thin or non-existent snow cover. Plan for a real adventure if you choose to explore the mountains in most this zone.

Some specific things to consider when planning your day in the mountains:

• Wind Slabs: Where more than a few inches of new snow fell, be on the lookout for fresh wind drifts and slabs in exposed terrain. They buried a variety of snow surfaces: sugary facets, thick and thin crusts, feathery surface hoar, and hard wind-hammered snow. The old snow surfaces can change dramatically as you move up or down in elevation, to sunnier or shadier aspects. On the same slope, you may find weak facets, hard wind surfaces, and crusts under the new snow. Conditions are tricky, and wind slabs may be very easy to trigger on some slopes. You may be able to remotely trigger even thin, soft wind slab avalanches from the sides, above, or below steep slopes.
• Loose snow avalanches: On some shady, wind-protected slopes facing NW-N-NE-E, the upper snowpack contains up to a foot of unconsolidated, sugary facets. You could trigger small slides that entrain additional snow and become more powerful as they move downhill. While these avalanches are generally small, they can push you into cliffs, trees, or other hazards. Managing this problem is often as simple as moving to the side or slowing down and allowing the sluff to run ahead of you.

It is easy to let you guard down when it hasn't snowed for weeks. Good travel habits help stack the odds in your favor:

• Have a plan: Discuss route options, decision points, and what terrain is off-limits before you leave the truck or car.
• Bring the gear: Carry and know how to use your transceiver, shovel, and probe. 
• Monitor conditions: Is the wind transporting or drifting more snow than expected?
• Look for obvious signs of instability: Snowpack cracking, collapsing, or recent avalanches indicate that avalanches are possible.
• Only expose one person at a time when skiing or riding steep slopes.