Bulletin d’avalanche

Bulletin d’avalanche

Payette Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

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

Points saillants

The Avalanche Hazard in the West Central Mountains is Moderate.   Natural avalanches are unlikely but human triggered avalanches remain possible.  Expect increasing avalanche hazard as new snow begins to pile up over the next few days.  Persistent Slab Avalanches 2-3 feet deep are still possible, even though they are getting harder to trigger...The new  snow will be falling on a variety of old snow surfaces including near-surface facets and our latest crop of surface hoar which will possibly form sensitive storm slabs. 

Multiple human triggered avalanches 2-3 feet deep have occurred in and around our advisory area over the last  2 weeks.  If triggered, these weak layers have the ability to spread out and propagate quickly over large areas. Your best and safest choice in the mountains right now is to AVOID slopes steep enough to slide. 

 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–3

    Several weak layers exist within our snowpack.  Surface hoar, near-surface facets, density changes caused by wind and temperature fluctuations, grauple, sun and rain crusts...you name them, we have them. The take-home point is that our snowpack is complex and varied right now.  Not all of these layers are found in all areas, several of them may be found in one area.  ALL of them should give you reason for concern and a healthy suspicion of the snowpack. The buried surface hoar near 65cm/25in is the most dangerous.  This layer is resting just above the rain crust that was buried on 1/26.  This layer is incredibly reactive in some areas and not present in others. Steep slopes in wind-protected or wind-loaded, shady terrain is where you are most likely to find it.  This is the layer that has been producing human triggered avalanches for almost 2 weeks.  Persistent grain types have also formed this week on the snow surface and will increase the avalanche hazard as we add new storm and windblown snow over the next few days. 

    The most repeated message from Avalanche Centers across the Western US right now is "avoid steep slopes", with human triggered avalanches and avalanche fatalities continuing to stack up, pay attention to your slope angles and keep an eye on your partners.  

     

     

     

     

    Friday 2/12 Wildwood Bowl. North of Tamarack Ski Resort boundry

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Storms are lined up and primed to drop in excess of 15 inches of snow through the weekend.  Temperatures are rising for the first time in over a week and the new snow will be falling on a variety of old snow surfaces adding another layer of complexity to our snowpack. 

    Prior to this storm, surface hoar formed in protected areas.  Near-surface facets were fairly widespread as well.   This storm will be building another slab on top of our latest weak layer which is only going to become a bigger problem as we add more snow and more depth over the next few days.

    Snow totals forecasted through Sunday evening.

Avalanche Discussion

Weak layers are fairly widespread across our advisory area right now within the upper snowpack.  Skiers and motorized users triggered large avalanches in our advisory area and across the region last week on a layer of buried surface hoar. In our Advisory area, we have not gotten any reports of human triggered avalanches since last Saturday, but the weak layers in the snowpack are still producing test results that indicate capability of producing large avalanches if you do trigger them.

The last 2 weeks have produced more recreational avalanche fatalities than ever recorded across the Western U. S.  Statistically speaking we have been very lucky in the PAC advisory area.  Give the snowpack the respect it deserves right now and don't become a statistic.   Check out this article from Avalanche Canada on "Scary Moderate" conditions, it does a great job explaining why we are seeing so many avalanches under Moderate Hazard. 

If you see or trigger avalanche activity, please take the time to snap a picture and note the approximate elevation and aspect, you can submit an observation on our website. Getting your info helps forecasters and other users get a better picture of the conditions throughout our mountains. If you have trouble using our observations page, please email us at: [email protected].,

*Also, Please be mindful of other users, and where you are at. There are closures for motorized travel in and around the local ski areas, Granite Mtn, and other areas throughout our region.

***Check out the Winter Travel Map to find out where you can shred on your sled or moto.