Sawtooth & Western Smoky Mtns

The avalanche danger is LOW,  but you'll want to watch for minor issues within the recent snow. Sensitive pockets of wind-drifted snow may be found near ridgelines—cracking in these drifts is an indication of instability. Small loose snow avalanches may be easy to trigger on very steep slopes, particularly where the sun is melting the snow surface. While triggering large avalanches that fail on deeper weak layers has become unlikely, the consequences would be grave. 

Your primary avalanche concerns today involve the 15-20 inches of snow from the past week. Roughly half of this fell last weekend, and the other half fell on Thursday. Stiff, icy crusts underlie this snow on slopes that tilt toward the sun. Observations indicate that this recent snow has generally bonded well to the surfaces it fell on. Here's what to be looking for while you are out in the mountains today:

• WIND SLABS: Look for these along ridgelines and on the sides of cross-loaded gullies. Surface textures like ripples and dunes are signs that the wind has been at work. Cracks shooting out from your skis, board, or machine are an indication that the slab you've found is not well bonded to the surface below. Northerly winds will increase in speed this afternoon, and there is a good amount of snow available for them to transport, so we may see some new slabs developing today. These slabs won't have much time to grow during the day, but may become more of an issue overnight. 
• WET LOOSE: Late-March sunshine is powerful. Direct sun will melt the snow surfaces and bring on the possibility for wet loose avalanches. Cool temperatures and intermittent cloud cover should limit the impacts of this problem, but if you're encountering wet snow on a steep slope, triggering these slides is on the menu. Most of the natural wet snow activity likely occurred on Friday, but if today is warmer or sunnier than forecast you may see small, natural wet loose avalanches. 
• DRY LOOSE: Thursday's storm graced this area with up to a foot of new snow. On shaded slopes, this snow has remained dry and you'll find some excellent skiing and riding. You may also be able to trigger small, fast-moving sluffs if you are playing on slopes steeper than about 40 degrees. 

The three avalanche types described above will be fairly easy to identify and manage. These types of slides aren't likely to be large enough to bury you, the main hazard they present will be if they knock you off your feet or machine in unfriendly terrain. Triggering very large avalanches on deeper weak layers has become unlikely in this zone. Unlikely, but not impossible. The most recently triggered large slab avalanche that failed on buried persistent weak layers in this zone occurred in the Sawtooths on March 14th. The slide was triggered in a steep, north-facing couloir on Williams Peak (photo here). You'd have to get unlucky to trigger one of these beasts, but it would take an equal dose of good luck to survive unscathed.

As the danger drops to LOW, many of us find ourselves drawn towards bigger, steeper, more complex terrain. When we head into this terrain, we enter a dangerous environment, even when the avalanche conditions are generally safe. Catching an edge, crossing your ski tips, or losing control of your machine on a steep, firm slope can all have severe consequences. This is also the type of terrain where you are most likely to trigger a small slide that can knock you off your feet. If this is the type of terrain you are headed for today, remember to keep things tight. Travel one at a time, keep your eyes on your partners, and make a plan for how to move safely through the terrain. Respect the environment you are traveling through and remember that avalanches are only one of the hazards you'll face today.