Sawtooth Avalanche Center

Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
January 30, 2021
Submitted:
January 30, 2021
Observer:
SAC - Scott Savage
Zone or Region:
Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns
Location:
Lake Creek to Prairie Creek: driving and glassing observations (Many from road)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
Yes
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced
No on snow observations - just glassing and photos of avalanche activity.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Very Poor
Confidence in Rating: 
High
Stability Trend: 

Bottom Line

Widespread D2 activity from storm with a handful of D3 slides. I saw well over 100 avalanches that released towards the tail end of the storm. There were signs of countless other slides that released at upper elevations and were blown in.

Media/Attachments

Persistent slab avalanche on a flank of Griffen Butte in the Fox Creek drainage. E-NE slopes near 7500'.
Persistent slab avalanche near Triple Peaks in the Lake Ck drainage, 8100' NW. Note how this slide over ran the recent ski tracks (appeared to be from during the storm).
Very large avalanche in the Eagle Creek headwaters. This slide is around 1000' wide (9600', SE-E aspects). Note the evidence of earlier avalanches to the right of the fresh crown.
Very large avalanche in the N Fork of the Big Wood River (SE-S aspects near 9500-10000'). The fingers of this slide span at least 1500' of the cirque.
Two very large (D3) avalanches on S-SE aspects in the N Fork of the Big Wood drainage.
Murdoch Ck, W-NW aspects. 15 avalanches are pointed out, 8300-9000' starting zones.
Several crowns in E-SE facing alpine terrain on Silver Peak in the Boulder Mtns.
Multiple large avalanches on SW-S-SE alpine terrain on Boulder Peak.
Large avalanches in the Silver Creek drainage, Boulder Mtns, W-SW aspects in alpine terrain.
Several large persistent slab avalanches on W aspects near 8800' in the Lake Ck drainage north of Ketchum.

Advanced Information