Lawinenlagebericht

Olympics

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
1 · Gering
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 6 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

You can still trigger an isolated wind slab in the lee of ridgelines. Avalanche danger should be confined to the higher terrain, if you ascend above Friday night's rain/snow line. Navigate away from slopes below fresh cornices or wind-textured snow.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    1

    Moderate winds  Friday evening will create small wind slabs on the most heavily wind-loaded terrain features. An initially elevated (5500-6000 ft rain/snow line) should confine this problem to the highest elevations. As you ascend to higher elevations and lose contact with a shallow rain crust, pay increasing attention for firm or punchy snow, wind-lips, and cornices as signs that the recent snow has been distributed unevenly. When in doubt of where windloading has occurred, travel safely on ridgelines and slopes less than 35 degrees to avoid the potential problem.

    (11/27/2020) Pay attention to slopes below fresh cornices such as these.

Avalanche Discussion

Professionals were in the Hurricane Ridge area Friday and found around 31" of settled snow, which increased to nearly 40" on northerly lee slopes. 2-3 mm surface hoar can be found on the surface on NW-NE aspects, but is unlikely to survive Friday night's storm. The recent sstorm snow from Tuesday and Wednesday has settled to around 4" with a week warming crust (11/21) below it. A rain crust (11/17) lies 4-6 inches below that. Overall the snowpack was found to be right-side up and stable, with good ski quality on N slopes.

Friday weather: Winds were gusting in the moderate range with  mostly cloudy and mild conditions (temperatures topping out at 34F). The warming caused some minor roller-ball activity, but no other avalanche activity was observed. Wind transport was minimal, due in part to the settled nature of the snowpack.

Hurricane ridge picked up 0.67" of storm snow water equivalent from mid-day Tuesday into Wednesday, which arrived with light winds, and settled to around 5" as of Thursday morning.  The total snow at Hurricane Ridge is around 31.5".  Below the recent snow, you should find several inches of consolidating snow from Monday, likely sitting above an 11/21 sun crust. Besides the thin crust, ONP rangers reported a relatively unconsolidated snowpack without much distinct layering as of Sunday (11/22).

Early season conditions exist, particularly in the trees. Travel will be more hazardous and terrain features look different than you expect. Avalanches, including small ones, will be more dangerous, potentially raking you through shallowly buried obstacles. Rivers and creeks are likely still open. 

Forecast Schedule: For the 2019-20 winter season, avalanche danger ratings will be issued for the Olympics every Friday through Sunday and during mid-week holidays. During the week, No Rating will be issued but forecasts will include expected conditions and relevant travel advice.  

Now is a great time to run through your safety equipment and make sure everything is in good working order. CLICK HERE for more information on early-season equipment checks. What did you see out in the field? SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS with NWAC and the backcountry community. Check out this BLOG POST and VIDEO TUTORIAL to find out more about why observations are so important and how you can view and share information on NWAC’s new public observations platform.

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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