East Slopes North

Lawinenprobleme

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Hochgebirge
  • Waldgrenze
  • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze

  Wahrscheinlichkeit

  Likely

  Größe

  1–2

  Use extra caution on leeward slopes steeper than 35 degrees. If you see cracks shooting through the snow, stick to lower-angle terrain.  As winds should taper off by Wednesday, you'll need to look for clues like sculpted features and stiff surfaces to indicate previous wind-loading directions.

  On Tuesday and Tuesday night, west and southwest winds formed slabs at upper elevations. You may be able to trigger avalanches big enough to kill you at upper elevations. Any avalanches below treeline will likely be small loose slides. If you're traveling in the mountains well east of the Cascade crest, see below.

  

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Hochgebirge
  • Waldgrenze
  • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze

  Wahrscheinlichkeit

  Possible

  Größe

  1–2

  If you're traveling near or east of Mazama, consider the potential for triggering these avalanches. With the recent snow, keep an eye out for signs of instability. If you see cracks shooting through the snow, experience loud collapses, or find strong over weak layers that produce sudden or propagating test results, stick to lower-angled slopes. You'll find a weak layer of facets in the lower half to a third of the snowpack and often under one or two crusts. 

  Triggering an avalanche on older weak layers near Washington Pass and the Cascade crest is unlikely but not out of the question. Generally, observers have found no older weak layers of concern in these areas. A few observations during past loading events indicate persistent slab avalanches could be possible near valley bottoms and in isolated areas above 7,000ft, where the mid-November facets are still weak. If you hit the wrong spot, you could trigger a dangerous avalanche.