GRANDJEAN, Idaho — Update: The Idaho Department of Transportation said Idaho 21 has been cleared and was reopened in a Twitter post around 11 a.m. Saturday.
Thirteen miles of Idaho 21 was shut down south of Stanley Friday afternoon due to an avalanche.
The closure stretched from Grandjean to Banner Summit. Crews assessed the area to decide whether it was safe before reopening Saturday morning.
The stretch of road is commonly known as "Avalanche Alley" due to the prevalence of slides in the area. Warmer temperatures can contribute to the risk of avalanches.
According to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, the risk level for avalanches is currently "moderate" during the heat of the day.
"Wet avalanches are possible on very steep, rocky slopes that directly face the sun," the center posted. "While likely to be small, wet avalanches are hard to escape, and can easily carry you where you don’t want to go. Steer clear of slopes where you’re sinking into a soggy snowpack."
Idaho 75 is used as an alternate route to get to Stanley, but will add drive time from the Treasure Valley area.
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