Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Conditions are generally safe and avalanches are unlikely.  Use normal backcountry caution and watch for small, isolated pockets of wind drifting. Expect the avalanche danger to increase tomorrow with the arrival of a winter-like storm.

Today is our last daily Avalanche Forecast of the season. We will issue General Avalanche Information tomorrow (Monday) morning at 7:30AM and next Friday.

The snowpack is generally stable and avalanches are unlikely. Continue to use normal backcountry caution—make a plan before heading out, carry the appropriate avalanche safety equipment, and remain alert for unexpected conditions. Recent winds may have created small, isolated drifts—if there's one thing I'd keep my eye open for today, it would be for newer wind slabs. Colder temperatures and cloud cover will keep wet problems at bay—in fact, frozen snow is likely to be the bigger concern!

Starting tomorrow morning, a winter-like storm is forecast to bring 6-10" of new snow by Tuesday. Tune into our General Avalanche Information product tomorrow morning at 7:30AM for more details.

Catch up on the recent conditions in Ben's latest Weekend Update. In this extended update, he'll also cover what to expect this spring and some tips for evaluating the avalanche hazard once the forecast has ended.

A QUICK SEASON RECAPAt this point in the season, we're always asking ourselves "where did the winter go?" November is full of possibilities for the winter ahead, and then, before we know it, it's over. If you want a quick trip down memory lane, read on.

This winter was divided into two very distinct halves. October storms provided a solid start to the season, and everyone was certain this was a harbinger of an epic, record-setting winter. Things dried out considerably in November, creating a well-developed weak layer near the base of the snowpack. December 11 to January 7 was one of the snowiest in memory. An estimated 100” (on Baldy) to 200” (Vienna Mine) of snow fell during this period, coming in three distinct 5-7 day storm cycles. Most SNOTEL stations were sitting at 70-80% of normal snowpack prior to this period and were 140-150% of average when the dust settled on January 7th. 

Not surprisingly, these large storms falling on a well-developed weak layer produced dangerous conditions and significant avalanche cycles. Our first Avalanche Forecasts of the season came out on December 13 with HIGH danger in three out of four zones. An Avalanche Warning was issued the next day. The avalanche danger remained elevated—CONSIDERABLE or HIGH—for most of the first month of the forecast season. Avalanche activity during this period was fairly extensive, with four slides triggered remotely from lower angled terrain. 

The second half of the winter arrived unceremoniously on January 7th. Unbeknownst to us at that point, we would see very little snowfall for the remainder of the winter. Looking back now, we received 4 to 6 times as much snow during the first half compared to the second. The drought hit the Wood River Valley particularly hard—less than 16" of snow fell during this 3-month period. This dry spell created a number of weak layers near the surface of the snowpack, but the right combination of slab and weak layer remained elusive. We had a handful of small to medium-sized natural and triggered slides, but the danger remained LOW to MODERATE. The March 23-28 heatwave produced a short-lived bump in avalanche danger due to wet slide concerns, but we were back to LOW once the snowpack froze.

Today is our 119th (and last) daily Avalanche Forecast of the season. We issued twice as many LOW danger forecasts compared to the previous two seasons, with over half of the forecasts in the Soldier & Wood River Valley zone being rated LOW. We'll be ending the season at 50-80% of median snowpack for the second winter in a row.