Payette Avalanche Center

Located in the West Central Mountains of Idaho, the Payette National Forest Avalanche Center issues Avalanche Advisories for the backcountry surrounding the towns of McCall and Cascade. These advisories do not apply to operating ski areas or highway operations where avalanches are routinely controlled.

Avalanche Advisories describe general backcountry conditions, our advisories are based on field observations taken four times a week combined with the best weather updates available at the time of the report. Local variations will occur and should be expected. Use our advisory as only a part of your decision making process and adjust your travel routes based on current conditions. Please let us know what you’re seeing in the backcountry. Contact us or submit an observation or contact one of our forecasters.

Click our Education link to find a list of local avalanche classes provided by the avalanche center, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and local guides. If you use the Advisory regularly please consider donating to the Friends of the Payette Avalanche Center FPAC. Your donation is tax deductible and goes directly back into local avalanche awareness. Have a great season, we'll see you in the backcountry.