Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist last year abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Temperatures will slowly cool, and wind and new snow could form shallow slabs on the highest slopes. Dangerous wet avalanche conditions will persist until there is a more thorough freeze. Stay off of steep terrain and avoid being under cornices and large slopes, where wet avalanches could come down from above.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    While wet avalanches are becoming less common, they could still occur naturally. Pay attention to overhead terrain and avoid lingering below slopes that could avalanche. While wet loose avalanches are most likely, there's a chance for deep and widely propagating wet slab avalanches. They may be more likely near Hart's Pass and east, where the snowpack is shallower and weaker. Also watch for cornices falling from overhead terrain.

    Observers reported a widespread wet avalanche cycle that likely began on the 25th and continued at least through Wednesday. As of Thursday, the snowpack has not yet frozen.

Avalanche Discussion

On Friday, you could encounter very shallow fresh slabs of snow at upper elevations. This is the only place where dry snow avalanche hazard may exist, and it will be minimal and shallow. A dusting of new snow and wind gusts just strong enough to move snow could form some very shallow wind slabs. Otherwise, this weather will slowly help the rest of the snowpack start to freeze and gain strength.

On Wednesday, WSDOT forecasters in the Highway 20 corridor reported a widespread cycle of wet avalanches. The cycle likely started on the 24th and continued at least through the afternoon of the 26th. Many wet slides ran on a range of slopes, and some deeper slab avalanches were reported up to D3. AS shown in the video above, they confirmed that the natural cycle was still ongoing on Wednesday.

The northern and eastern areas of the zone are particularly susceptible to warming and rain. Having a shallow, weaker snowpack, these areas could see deep, wet slab avalanches and slides that gouge into old layers. Consider the consequences of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time if an avalanche runs into lower elevations from above. Choose your terrain wisely, and pay attention to the terrain even thousands of vertical feet above you. Expect deep, challenging travel in unconsolidated wet snow. 

Before warming and rain, the January Drought Layer was buried 2–3.5 ft and shallower east of Mazama. Near Rainy and Easy Passes, the JDL was over 4 feet deep and capped with a thick melt-freeze crust. On March 17, an observer near Tiffany Mountain reported widely propagating recent natural avalanches and rolling collapses on a weak layer in the middle to lower half of the snowpack. 

NWAC Forecasters visited the site of the avalanche fatality near Harts Pass that occurred on 2/28. The full accident report is published and can be found HERE. 

Submit an observation to the website or the Avy App to help NWAC Forecasters reduce uncertainty. It can be short, simple, and even anonymous. 

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