Avalanche Forecast By Zone
The Bottom Line
A few inches of fresh snow will not appreciably change the avalanche hazard. Lingering wind-affected snow on shady slopes above 7,000 feet may still react to your weight. Watch for stiff wind drifts and cracking, especially near corniced ridgelines & steep rollovers—you could trigger drifts up to about a foot deep that potentially step down into deeper layers. It is less likely, but not impossible, to trigger a larger avalanche that breaks 1-3′ deep within the snowpack. Some current red flags for you to watch out for include:
- Windy. Is there evidence of wind loading? Does the terrain seem exposed to wind?
- Steep. Is the terrain above 35°? Does it roll over into a terrain trap?
- Shaded. Nearly all of the recent avalanches have occurred on the northern half of the compass, slopes facing W-N-E.
- Above 7,000′. Recent avalanche activity has generally been limited to above 7,500′; however, unstable snow has been observed in snow pits and continues to propagate down to around 7,000′.
News
The Payette Avalanche Center is now on the Avy App! Here you can find information similar to what you would find on our website including avalanche forecasts, weather forecasts, weather station data, and observations. You’ll find consolidated forecast views that aggregate all the information in one zone to minimize time spent looking for information. You will also find optimized weather tables and data that were specifically designed for mobile devices and easy viewing. Another benefit of this app is the ability to look at avalanche forecasts offline (view it once while connected first). In addition, you can now submit observations straight from the field. The app will cache your observation and automatically submit it whenever you reach service.
Submitting observations has never been easier!
Submitting observations has never been easier!
Download the app here:
Avy for Apple Devices / Avy for Android Devices