Bulletin d’avalanche

Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Wed
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
1 · Faible
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

New snow and very strong winds are building thin slabs of wind-drifted snow. Though small, these slabs may be sensitive to your weight today. Expect to find these drifts in atypical locations due to the strength of the wind.

Wind slabs will be largest and most sensitive in the western portion of this zone, where more snow has fallen, from the Dollarhide area west to the Soldiers.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–1.5

    1-3 inches of new snow fell in this Zone in the past 24 hours, mostly in the mountains to the west of the Wood River Valley. Very strong winds have transported this snow into thin slabs that will be sensitive to your weight today. Expect to find these small 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. It is unlikely that you will find a slab large enough to bury you, but you may find one that can knock you off your feet and send you downslope through some unpleasant terrain. 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 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 significantly reduce your risk of encountering an avalanche today by seeking out terrain that is sheltered from the wind. You'll also find better skiing there. Unfortunately, sheltered terrain will be hard to find due to the strong to extreme wind speeds.

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.

Régions couvertes