Back country avalanche warning issued

KETCHUM, Idaho (KIFI)-The Sawtooth Avalanche Center in Ketchum has issued a back country avalanche warning until 6 a.m. Thursday. 

The affected area includes the Sawtooth, western Smoky, White Cloud, Boulder and Pioneer Mountains, including the mountains near Stanley, Smiley Creek, Atlanta and Galena Summit.

Dense, heavy snowfall along with rain and strong winds are overloading a very weak snowpack.   As a result, large, destructive natural and human-triggered avalanches may be triggered remotely, from below, above and to the sides of steep slopes.

The Avalanche Center said travelers should stay off of and out from underneath any slopes steeper than 30 degrees. 

As of early Friday, danger was listed as “considerable” in the Gallatin and Bridger Teton regions as well as ranges along the Utah border.