Bulletin d’avalanche

Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Wed
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 4 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

The combination of new snow and wind has built slabs of wind-drifted snow that may be reactive to your weight today. Cracks shooting out from your skis or board are a sign you've found an unstable wind slab. Expect to find these in atypical locations, thanks to the strength of the wind.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–2

    3-6 inches of new snow fell in this Zone in the past 24 hours. Very strong winds have transported this snow into slabs 1+ feet thick that will be sensitive to your weight today. Expect to find these slabs in both obvious locations (such as near ridgelines) as well as in atypical locations that are commonly sheltered from the effects of the wind. Additional snow and shifting wind directions may make the slabs that formed yesterday harder to identify.

    If the snow you are traveling through becomes deeper and denser you've found a fresh slab. Cracks shooting out from in front of your skis or machine are clear indications that the slab you found is unstable. You can reduce your risk of encountering an avalanche today by seeking out terrain that is sheltered from the wind. You'll also find better skiing and riding there. Unfortunately, sheltered terrain will be hard to find due to the strong to extreme wind speeds.

    In most locations, warm temperatures and abundant sunshine last week generated slick, icy melt-freeze crusts that were buried by the ongoing storm. Any slab or sluff you trigger will be able to pick up speed quickly on this crust as it travels downslope. If you head to upper elevations slopes that face the northern quarter of the compass you will find a more complex snowpack underneath the new snow. Here, a few different weak layers exist within the upper portion of the snowpack. We haven't seen any activity on these weak layers in over two weeks so it is hard to say with confidence how they are behaving during this ongoing storm. Despite this lack of activity, local professionals (myself included) were leery of this terrain even before this storm. Any slide that breaks on these weak layers will be larger and more destructive than a simple wind slab. 

Avalanche Discussion

An intense winter storm is impacting our region. Don't let the date on the calendar and the long periods of LOW danger we've had this year fool you, you'll be dealing with winter conditions out there today. Over a foot of new has fallen up high in our northern and western mountains. Strong to extreme winds have easily pushed this snow around and built thick slabs out of it. When the wind blows like this it can build slabs in all sorts of terrain, even extending down to low elevations and on slopes where you often find sheltered powder. Be on the lookout for these slabs and be ready to avoid them where they exist. Wind slabs will be large enough to bury a person today. 

In addition to the hazards posed by the new snow you'll also experience some serious environmental hazards today. Temperatures are in the teens F this morning with wind chills well below O F. Pack a few extra layers and give a little thought to what being stranded out in the cold for a few hours might look like. Even an equipment failure can carry some consequences on a day like today. It can be quite a mental shift to go from skiing corn in your shorts to wearing a few jackets and shivering in the cold! Enjoy another taste of winter, but take some time to think about the range of hazards you'll be facing today.

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