KETCHUM, Idaho — Editor's note: Information about the March 1 avalanche on Warm Springs Road in Ketchum was updated after this story was first published.
No injuries have been reported from an avalanche on Warm Springs Road in Ketchum, but avalanche conditions in the Sawtooths region are dangerous, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center reported Wednesday.
The Ketchum avalanche was reported Wednesday morning in the roadway on Warm Springs between Gates Road and Jane Lane. The Blaine County Sheriff's Office has advised people to avoid that area. After clearing the blockage and assessing safety, crews reopened the road Thursday night.
Avalanche danger is listed as "considerable" Wednesday in the Sawtooths -- from Banner Summit to the Wood River Valley. A "considerable" rating is a 3 on a five-level scale, ranging from "low" to "extreme."
In Wednesday's report, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center advised that steering clear of wind-loaded terrain "will help keep you out of trouble, but it's not the whole story. Dangerous slab avalanches are also possible in terrain more sheltered from the wind."
Blowing and drifting snow Tuesday built sensitive slabs in the Soldier and Wood River Valley mountains, and triggered slides had the potential to be thicker, wider, and more dangerous and windy upper elevations, according to the avalanche center's report.
Obvious signs of snow instability to look out for while in the backcountry are collapsing snowpack or cracks shooting from your skis or sled.
The Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center is hosting the group's second annual Avalanche Awareness Week Feb. 25-March 3.
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