Avalanche Dangers Continue in Sawtooth, Smoky and Boulder Mountains
KETCHUM, Idaho (KLIX) – A weak snowpack continues to create dangerous avalanche conditions today, according to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center.
Areas in the Sawtooth, Smoky and Boulder mountains are affected. Aslo in the Wood River Valley, "dangerous avalanche conditions likely exist in terrain where snow existed prior to the most recent storm.”
The center says that avalanches may be triggered naturally or by human activity from the sides or bottom of the slopes and could be “large.”
“Solar warming may cause loose snow avalanches which could trigger deeper instabilities in the snowpack as they travel downhill,” according to the center.
If you chose to travel in exposed terrain today, be on the lookout for wind slabs and evidence of wind loading.Wind slabs will generally be found near and below ridges or on more exposed slopes.Due to a widespread layer of weak, sugary snow found beneath the new snow, wind slabs may be triggered from below or on adjacent slopes.