Avalanche
Photo taken: December 7, 2015
Description: Wind Slab on SE aspect near treeline. Stepped down into facets near the ground.
NOAA & and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center have issued an Avalanche Warning in Idaho today. The avalanche warning is for the Soldier, Smoky, and Sawtooth mountains of Idaho.
The avalanche rating for these regions of Idaho is current “High.” Travel in avalanche terrain is NOT recommended. Highway 21 has been closed due to avalanche danger.
“An Avalanche Warning has been issued. The combination of heavy snowfall and wind transported snow is overwhelming a weak, early season snowpack. Widespread natural and human triggered avalanches are very likely, especially where more than 15″ of snow fell. Travel is not recommended in avalanche terrain. This warning will expire or be continued by 7:30AM Wednesday morning.” – Sawtooth Avalanche Center
AVALANCHE WARNING for IDAHO:
AVALANCHE WARNING SAWTOOTH AVALANCHE CENTER RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 942 PM MST MON DEC 7 2015 THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE SAWTOOTH AVALANCHE CENTER. THE SAWTOOTH AVALANCHE CENTER IN SUN VALLEY HAS ISSUED A BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING. * TIMING...IN EFFECT FROM 900 PM MST THIS EVENING UNTIL 730 AM MST WEDNESDAY. * AFFECTED AREA...FOR THE SOLDIER...SMOKY...AND SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS INCLUDING THE MOUNTAINS NEAR FAIRFIELD...GALENA SUMMIT...SMILEY CREEK...AND STANLEY. * AVALANCHE DANGER...THE AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THE WARNING AREA IS HIGH. * REASON... THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOWFALL AND WIND BLOWN SNOW IS OVERLOADING A WEAK EARLY SEASON SNOWPACK. WIDESPREAD AREAS OF UNSTABLE SNOW EXIST. BOTH HUMAN TRIGGERED AND NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY ON STEEP SNOW COVERED SLOPES AND GULLIES.
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