Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1–2

  Warm temperatures combined with clear skies will decrease stability on southerly aspects by the afternoon. Watch for snow surfaces to become wet and easier to penetrate as a sign of wet loose avalanche potential. The snow around rocks and cliffs will warm up earlier in the day. Strong winds will likely keep snow surfaces cool at the upper elevations, however, the snow will heat up quickly if conditions are calmer than expected.

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1–2

  Sustained and strong westerly winds gusting up to 60 mph have redistributed snow and built sensitive slabs up to a foot deep in exposed middle and upper elevation terrain. Wind directions over the past several days have been variable (SW-NW). As a result, slabs have formed on a variety of aspects. Suspect features include leeward terrain off exposed ridges, cross loaded gullies, and aprons below cliff bands. Be on the lookout for wind affected snow on the surface that is stiff or drifted. These slabs will be dense given the intensity of the wind. Probing the snowpack for hardness changes (hard over soft) or digging a quick “hasty pit” are useful ways to identify these slabs. Sheltered terrain will provide the safest riding.

  Cornice Falls: Observations of cornice failures continue to be reported. Give cornices a wide margin and be careful along ridgelines as they can break further back than expected. Falling cornices can impact deeply buried weak layers and trigger large avalanches.

  

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1.5–2.5

  Hard slabs 3-5 feet thick overlay weak snow that formed earlier in the season. Steep, rocky, unsupported, and wind affected terrain on the north half of the compass has proven itself to be most suspect. Thin spots in the slab (trigger points) are most common in these locations. While it has become unlikely for a human to trigger one of these slabs, larger triggers such as cornice falls, smaller avalanches, or even snowmobiles still have the potential to impact weak layers buried deeply in the snowpack.

  The Wyoming Range harbors a weaker and shallower snowpack making it easier to impact these weak layers. The Snake and Salt River Ranges hold a deeper snowpack where this is less likely. However, thin areas where weak layers are more reactive can be found across the entire zone.