Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

A variety of environmental inputs should combine to create dangerous avalanche conditions at upper elevations on Sunday. Be leery of slopes over 35 degrees, especially during periods of strong winds or heavy precipitation. Make travel plans that give you plenty of options to avoid avalanche terrain and early-season natural hazards.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Look for slab avalanches to develop on Sunday as the snow piles up and strong winds transport newly fallen snow into larger and thicker piles. Slabs will likely be thicker and possibly more reactive as you ascend in elevation or in those wind-prone areas. Fluctuating freezing levels, multiple pulses of precipitation, plus wind will combine to produce density breaks and interstorm layers for you to investigate. You can look for these potential failure points by digging down with your hand or shovel to look for heavy snow over weak snow or poorly bonded layers. When in doubt, avoid slopes over 35 degrees until this storm plays out.

    (11/26/2022)

    Quick hand pits while you travel can give you an indication of how new snow has bonded to old snow surfaces or if it has come in upside down.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Saturday was a bit of a transition day between storm pulses, but the nicer weather will come to an end on Saturday evening. In this next wave, many areas of the West South can expect to receive over a foot of new snow with the volcanoes likely outpacing areas closer to the crest. As mentioned above, winds should also be significant with this storm, helping to redistribute newly fallen snow onto leeward ridgelines or near rocky features such as the base of cliffs. This combination of environmental factors should be enough to drive dangerous avalanche conditions at mid to upper elevations on Sunday.

Newly fallen snow should be falling on a variety of surfaces and snow depths across the zone, but we currently believe that the existing snowpack is relatively strong, lacking major layers of concern. Early-season snowpacks can be tricky, however, and observations have been limited. Be sure to take a look at the snowpack structure wherever you may be recreating. 

Despite the incoming snow, early-season conditions are still prevalent throughout much of the zone. Many natural obstacles such as open creeks, stumps, rocks, or bushes are currently on or near the surface. Although this storm should be a decent snow producer, it will likely take more to significantly increase avalanche hazard at lower elevations. Regardless of your elevation, once the snow starts to pile up, those natural hazards that were easy to spot on Saturday may be just below the surface on Sunday. Travel with care.

 

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