Avalanche threat is high
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation says our current conditions are ripe for an avalanche to occur. Most of this is due to the heavy snowfall early in the winter season.
The snowpack is well above average everywhere across Eastern Idaho and some basins have over double the typical snowpack for this time of year. The constant snowfall that has fallen recently has not fully settled yet. This means most of the snow up high is very loose. All it takes is a snowmobile or skier to push the snow over into an avalanche.
Overall, all it takes is a major change in the weather to produce massive avalanche threats. This can include massive amounts of snow and warming trends.
Even though the peak of Avalanche season is from January until March, there have already been several avalanche warnings posted over the past few weeks. One of them closed down state Highway 75 in-between Stanley and Sun Valley earlier this week.
If you unfortunately happen to end up in an avalanche, the right equipment could end up saving your life. Experts say a transceiver, a probe and a shovel need to be handy at all times when traveling in the backcountry.
If you want more information on this, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation will be holding classes on avalanches over the next few weeks in various locations across the state.
