Lawinenlagebericht

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Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
1 · Gering
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist last year abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

The upper snowpack is still recovering from the warm weather of the last week.  Overnight temperatures have cooled, but the unlucky rider could find an isolated pocket of wet snow that could be reactive as a wet slab.  If you are sinking up to your ankles in wet and sloppy snow, seek lower-angle terrain.  

This forecast is sponsored by Wallowa County Search and Rescue.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    1–2

    Liquid meltwater has trickled down, and where it meets a hard bed surface, such as a melt-freeze crust, it can act as a lubricant in a slab avalanche.  Timing is hard to predict but they could be 1-3' thick.  

    Wet loose avalanches are unlikely, but a person pushing on a steep roll could still initiate one.  Rollerballs have previously occurred and would probably not offer warning today.  

    (3/25/2025)

    The crown in the bottom middle of this photo distinguishes it as a wet slab.  Nearby wet loose and rollerballs are all red flags that likely came first.   

    Photo: Victor McNeil

Avalanche Discussion

Observations from Spout Springs on Wednesday found water pooling at a thick melt-freeze crust that was 1-2 feet from the surface.  Any time we have liquid water pooling on a crust or saturating weaker snow grains, we think about wet slab avalanches.  Wet slab avalanches can be very difficult to forecast the timing of and can also be extremely destructive, often gouging and altering the underlying landscape.   While cooler temperatures will likely put this process on hold for a few days, when "free water" exists in the snowpack- especially where pooled on a crust- wet slab avalanches could occur.  Throughout your travels, dig down a couple of feet and see how deep the snow has become saturated- if you find liquid water pooling at a crust, avoid avalanche terrain.  

Springtime weather patterns are often dynamic...

Sunny skies can turn to squally storm clouds in a short time.   Precipitation amounts can be difficult to forecast, and freezing levels can be quite variable.  Maintain your ability to be surprised and stay flexible in your mountain travel plans.  Play the hand you are dealt.  

Please submit an observation here and help us reduce uncertainty.  It can be simple, short, and even anonymous.  Thank you! 

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