General Avalanche Information Sawtooth & Western Smoky Mtns
Sawtooth Avalanche Center
www.sawtoothavalanche.com
- Issued
- Monday, October 26, 2026 - 2:28PM
- Expires
- Monday, November 2, 2026 - 2:00PM
- Author
- Gabrielle Antonioli
The Bottom Line
You may encounter snow drifts 1-2 feet deep if traveling above 9,000 feet. Early-season travelers, including hunters and hikers, should use caution on steep upper-elevation terrain, as even shallow snow on grassy slopes, rock slabs, or old snowfields can slide.
We will update this General Avalanche Information product as more snow accumulates.
Forecast Discussion
We will update this General Avalanche Information post throughout the fall. Our daily Backcountry Avalanche Forecasts will begin when there's adequate snow to ride and slide.
Fall Gear Check
Use this dry week to go through your kit at home:
- Beacon: Put in fresh batteries of the type your manufacturer recommends, check for corrosion and cracks, update the firmware, and do a practice search with your partners!
- Airbag: Practice-deploy it if your manufacturer recommends it, then refill or weigh the canister (or charge the battery and update firmware on electric packs) and repack it carefully.
- Probe and shovel: Assemble and lock them several times, and check for bent, cracked, or sticky parts.
- And all the rest: Restock first-aid and repair kits, charge radios, and check skins, bindings, and crampons.
Learn Before the Season
- MSU Snow and Avalanche Workshop: November 4, 2026, Bozeman, MT. Registration details are here.
- Wyoming Snow and Avalanche Workshop (WYSAW): November 13–14, 2026, Center for the Arts, Jackson, WY. Registration details are here.
- Not a workshop person? Check out The Avalanche Hour podcast for tips, stories, and early-season wisdom here.
Media
Mountain Weather
- Issued
- Tuesday, October 27, 2026 - 10:33AM
- Author
- Nick Zelaya
Yesterday's storm brought 0.1 to 0.4" of water to our area over the last 24 hours, mostly as rain. However, the Western Smokies and Sawtooths received 2 to 4" of snow. Banner, Galena Summit, and Pioneers saw 1" of new snow. Daytime temperatures topped out in the 30s°F before cooling into the 20s°F overnight.
Today's temperatures will remain in the mid-to-high 20s F across most of our forecast area. It will be mostly cloudy today with moments of overcast. Scattered showers will linger throughout the day with a chance of anywhere from a trace to 1" of snow for the Sawtooth and Banner Summit areas. Winds will be light and mostly from the southwest.
Tomorrow, temperatures will warm slightly, reaching into the 30s F during the day, before dropping into the upper teens and 20s F overnight. No precipitation is expected tomorrow, and winds will remain light.
Looking ahead, Thursday and Friday evenings have a slight chance of rain and snow as the next system moves through. The bulk of this next wave will arrive over the weekend, bringing cool temperatures and more precipitation to the area.
This information is provided by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and describes general backcountry avalanche hazard and conditions.
It does not apply to ski areas and highways where avalanche mitigation is conducted.