Bulletin d’avalanche

Salmon River Mountains

Payette Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Mon
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 6 months ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

Lingering wind-affected snow on shady slopes above 7,500 feet may still react to your weight. Watch for stiff wind drifts and cracking, especially near corniced ridgelines & steep rollovers—you could trigger drifts up to about a foot deep that potentially step down into deeper layers. Sunshine and warm temperatures will change conditions below 7,500 feet, producing wet and mushy surface snow. Give large cornices and slopes below them a wide buffer, as a cornice fall could trigger a larger avalanche. 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1.5–2.5

    Triggering a large persistent slab avalanche is becoming less likely. A surface hoar layer buried 2/14 now sits about 2–3 feet deep (1.5–2 feet deep around West Mountain). This layer is responsible for many large avalanches over the past two weeks, mainly on wind-loaded terrain that faces NW–NE–E above 7,000 feet. Signs of instability may be absent, and slopes with multiple tracks could still produce a large avalanche.

    Reduce your risk by avoiding slopes steeper than about 35°, particularly rocky, wind-affected alpine terrain, and be mindful of terrain traps like trees, rocks, and gullies. Travel one at a time in avalanche terrain.

    (2/26/2026)

    Riders remote triggered this D2.5 avalanche near frog lake north of McCall on Thursday Feb 26th.

    Photo: Payette Avalanche Center

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Stubborn wind slabs ranging 6-12 inches thick linger in steep, wind-loaded terrain at the upper elevations. Be on the lookout for wind-affected snow on the surface that is stiff or drifted. Harder, well-connected, drifted snow is a red flag. A small avalanche that breaks near the snow surface could trigger a larger one that fails deeper in the snowpack. Give all cornices a wide margin, and be careful along ridgelines as they can break further back than expected. Limit exposure under or adjacent to them. With warm overnight temperatures and more direct March sunshine, a cornice fall is currently one of the more likely ways to trigger a large persistent slab avalanche. 

    WET AVALANCHES

    Yesterday, wet loose avalanches were reported on steep slopes. These avalanches are possible again today, and are more likely below 7,000 where temperatures have remained warm, or on steep, south-facing slopes. Wet, loose avalanches begin at a point, usually the base of a warm rock or tree, and fan out, picking up snow as they move. They are most problematic in confined terrain or on steep slopes, where they can accumulate large amounts of snow. Rollerballs, or small snowballs peeling off steep terrain, can be a helpful clue that the snow's surface is weakening and wet loose slides may occur. 

Avalanche Discussion

Risk is fun: taking well-calculated risks keeps life interesting and encourages individual growth. But this doesn't mean we can't get sucker-punched by bad luck. I get that there's risk in many things, like driving. But when I drift a little too close into another lane while trying to drink my morning coffee, another human in the opposite lane usually corrects me by either moving themselves, or via a honk or gesture. The mountain environment does not adapt to us. Typically, we don't get much feedback until something goes very wrong. Every day we venture out, we still need to ask ourselves: what could go wrong? How bad could it be? And what are we going to do about it? This is risk management. Continue to assess your options, and when in doubt, build a wide buffer around any uncertainty you may have, like: Is that overhanging cornice just a bit too close for comfort? Is my partner unsure of their gear or themselves in this terrain? Are we traveling one at a time or do we have a good comms plan? When existing on the far edges of a probability, threading many needles, our luck can run out sooner.  Variability in stability means that it is important to make your own assessment of the snowpack before committing to steep terrain. Looking at the recent new snow interfaces and digging down to the 2/14 interface can be helpful, but also noting the terrain characteristics where you are riding is important. Red flags include:  

  • Windy. Is there evidence of wind loading? Does the terrain seem exposed to wind?
  • Steep. Is the terrain above 35 deg? Does it roll over into a terrain trap?
  • Shaded & Above 7,000'. Nearly all of the recent avalanches have occurred on the northern half of the compass, slopes facing W-N-E, above 7,000'. 
  • GLOP. If you're unfamiliar with the lingo, this is the term for wet, sticky snow conditions. A new addition to the list for the higher sun angles and warm temperatures ushered in by March will be recurring wet snow problems. Wet loose snow problems are most likely on sheltered slopes below ~7,000 feet.

Hedge your decisions in data, take several minutes to pause, regroup your thoughts, check in with your partners, and look at the snowpack beneath your boards or sled.

Régions couvertes