Lawinenlagebericht

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 5 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

You may be able to trigger large avalanches on wind drifted slopes at upper elevations.  Wet avalanches will be possible on steep slopes that get direct sun. Pay attention to signs of recent wind loading, warming of snow surfaces, and use caution on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    To avoid triggering these avalanches, stick to wind-sheltered terrain or slopes that are less than 35 degrees. Steer around drifts, wind features, and convex rollovers. Look for signs of instability such as shooting cracks and fresh avalanches. You may find wind-affected areas below treeline where valleys and terrain channeled the wind. Cornices are again reactive to the weight of a person. Continue to give them plenty of room when traveling on ridges and stay out from under them. 

  • Loose Wet

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

    You may be able to trigger wet avalanches on steep slopes that face the sun. These avalanches may occur naturally if skies remain clear. Time your travel to be off of steep, solar slopes before the snow becomes warm enough to slide. Use caution in ver steep terrain and near terrain traps like cliffs and gullies, where these avalanches could be dangerous.

    The likelihood of wet loose avalanches is uncertain. The combination of seasonally cold temperatures, uncertain cloud forecast, and variable snow surfaces will all factor into whether you can trigger these slides tomorrow. If clouds are thin, skies remain clear, and you find moist surface snow, expect wet slides.

Avalanche Discussion

A strong winter storm delivered up to 15" of snow accumulating on Monday morning. West winds were gusty and strong. Stevens Pass Ski Patrol and DOT highway forecasters trigger avalanches in the new snow on Monday. Most of the avalanches were small and were on steep, wind-loaded slopes. One avalanche, in the Old Faithful highway path, was big enough to bury a person. In fieldwork near the top of Stevens Pass, we easily triggered cornices on leeward sides of ridges. On wind-sheltered slopes up to 35, the snow was generally well-bonded and difficult to trigger. Despite the strong to extreme winds, many slopes were surprisingly unaffected by the wind. At the same time, we found drifts and slabs in low elevation open terrain where the wind was channeled by long valleys and passes.

On Sunday, I dug a profile on SE, 5,400ft almost 7 feet down to the January 24th facets. While the grains have rounded quite a bit, the layer is still notably softer than the adjacent layers. The layer of facets on a crust from Mid-January was responsible for the February avalanche cycles. The last known deep slab avalanche in this zone was on March 1. Major warming events later in spring and summer could trigger further rounds of avalanches on this layer. 

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state, and federal health officials. Avoid unnecessary risks that could impact first responders and stress medical resources.  Wear a mask when appropriate, practice social distancing, and consider recreating closer to home.

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