Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 3 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Tuesday might feel like spring again, with sun and light winds. Wet avalanches will likely be your primary concern as the sun warms snow surfaces on steep slopes. If snow becomes heavy and moist, move to shadier or lower-angle slopes. You could still trigger an avalanche in lingering pockets of wind-drifted snow in alpine terrain. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    It's a tricky spring cloud forecast, but there is a chance the sun will make a prolonged appearance. Winds on Monday helped to keep surfaces cool, but Tuesday will be a much calmer day, so sunny slopes will have a better chance of warming up. Look for rollerballs and pinwheels as warning signs that the snow surface is becoming wet and weak. These avalanches often initiate from rocks or trees shedding snow onto steep slopes, so be aware of any overhead hazards as you travel. If the snow becomes moist and heavy, it might be time to move to shadier slopes or choose lower-angle routes. 

    (3/18/2023)

    Rollerballs on steep slopes like this are an indication wet loose avalanches are possible. 

    Photo: Pat Riffie

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    With consistent winds and recent snow, there are likely lingering slopes where you could trigger a wind slab. The most suspect terrain is higher elevations with exposed ridges, confined rocky features, and the base of cliffs. While these avalanches will likely be small, they could still carry high consequences in very steep terrain with cliffs and gullies. Textured surfaces, pillow-like drifts, and snow that sounds hollow are all ways to identify potential wind slab locations. If you suspect a steep slope to be wind-loaded or see apparent signs of unstable snow, such as shooting cracks, travel on lower angle slopes, ridge tops, or scoured wind-ward aspects instead. 

    (3/25/2023)

    Rocky, confined terrain features like in this example are likely locations for lingering wind slabs.

Avalanche Discussion

The new snow fell over various surfaces, including thick melt-freeze crusts, which may act as a good bed surface. Whether it is a wet or dry snow avalanche, this slippery bed surface may allow the slide to travel further than expected. Southern slopes likely formed a thin melt-freeze crust from Monday's intermittent sun breaks. 

Lower trailheads are melting out, and bare patches exist on some groomed trails, all signs that spring is near. Winter storms, like over the weekend, in the early spring, tend to bring complex and overlapping avalanche problems. You may experience dry slab avalanches and a rapid transition to wet snow avalanches with even a brief period of sunshine. The rapidly changing weather often makes for a tricky avalanche forecast. Stay tuned to the changing snowpack conditions and look for signs of instability. Recent avalanches, rapidly melting snow surfaces, shooting cracks, or actively drifting snow are all signs of deteriorating snow stability. Monitor the snow as you travel and be prepared with options to travel on less consequential terrain with lower angle slopes if you find questionable snowpack conditions. 

Abgedeckte Regionen