Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns

Continued warming and generally clear skies this weekend make wet avalanches our primary concern. Although small surface wet loose avalanches are the primary concern, there's an off-chance that pockets of lingering buried weak layers could reawaken as wet slabs on shady upper elevation slopes. The time windows to find supportable surface crusts will shrink or become non-existent this weekend depending on elevation and aspect.

Wet Loose Avalanches:  Steep slopes with more than about 6" of lingering softer snow (not crusts or corn snow) are most likely to produce wet loose avalanches. Look for rollerballs and pinwheels of snow moving downslope as an indicator that it's time to move to colder, drier slopes (or exit to the trailhead). The threat of these slides will follow the sun around the compass:  E-SE aspects in the morning, S-SW facing slopes by noon, and W-NW aspects later in the day.  Even shady, NW-N-NE aspects could become problematic as temperatures warm to the 50s F throughout the weekend. Very steep, rocky, sun-drenched avalanche paths that are protected from the wind are most suspect. If you find yourself or your machine sinking into unsupportable wet schmoo, it's an indicator that you should seek out colder slopes or head back to the trailhead.

Wet Slab Avalanches: Upper elevation shady slopes that have preserved a mostly cold upper snowpack may receive a solid injection of meltwater this weekend as temperatures warm. If this free water reaches lingering weak layers buried ~50cm below the surface, there's a chance that wet slabs will result. Your best bet to avoid this problem is by minimizing your exposure to steep slopes on N and NE aspects late in the day where you observe active surface melt and deteriorating travel conditions. These avalanches are often triggered near rock outcrops or other terrain features that absorb more heat and increase melt water production.

If you're out in the mountains this weekend, please submit an observation to keep the greater backcountry community informed of conditions!

Recent Observations: 

• April 24 - Banner Summit 2: CLICK HERE
• April 24 - Banner Summit: CLICK HERE
• April 23 - Bench Hut: CLICK HERE

SNOWPACK AND AVALANCHE GENERAL INFORMATION

Some basic points to remember until you put the sleds and boards away for the summer:

• Spring weather can rapidly alter snow conditions and snow stability. Think minutes and hours rather than days and weeks.
• Storm slab and wind slab avalanches are most likely during and immediately following a storm. 
• Short periods of sunshine after a snowstorm can quickly create wet loose avalanche instabilities.
• Keep wet slab avalanches in mind, especially during rain events and when we go days without the temperature dropping below freezing. Many shady, upper elevation slopes have not yet gone through a "spring transition". Travel cautiously in this terrain when rain or hot, sunny spells push meltwater deeper into the snowpack. 
• Give cornices a wide berth and don’t linger beneath them. 
• Complicated, consequential terrain doesn’t get less complex or serious in the spring and summer. Respect the mountains, maintain safe travel procedures, and keep your guard up.
  
  

OBSERVATIONS

Even though we’re done issuing forecasts, we’ll continue posting observations when we get out in the mountains. We encourage you to do the same. Please let everyone know what you’re seeing out there, especially if you see or trigger any avalanches. We’re always trying to collect as much information as possible about large wet slab avalanches (where, when, etc); let us know if you come across any of these beasts in your travels. There are several ways to stay connected and to share what you see:

Submit an Observation:

• CLICK HERE for the online form
• Download the Avy App: Apple | Android
• Email us: info@sawtoothavalanche.com
• Text us at 208-481-5921

 

View Observations:

• CLICK HERE to view Observations.
• CLICK HERE for details on recent Avalanches.
• CLICK HERE to view our Photos & Video page.