Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
1 · Gering
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 3 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Cooler temperatures are finally here and wet snow avalanche concerns are diminishing, although still present in areas that haven't yet gotten a good freeze. Avoid traveling below large glide cracks, saggy cornices, and other large, exposed snowfields, especially if snow surfaces aren't frozen. Prepare for challenging travel, with an abundance of avalanche debris, irregular soft surfaces and firm crusts at upper elevations. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    2–3

    Lingering wet snow avalanche problems to remain vigilant for are wet slabs, glide avalanches, and cornice fall. Search for sagging cornices, glide cracks, or precariously perched blocks of snow to help identify areas where shedding avalanches may still occur. Avoid traveling beneath these locations. 

    Most wet avalanche activity is probably behind us. If a solid freeze exists underfoot, avalanche danger is more likely on Low. It's a gray area regarding how much of a freeze is needed to fully minimize wet avalanche concerns, as glide avalanches and wet slabs have been known to release despite a bit of a surface freeze. If the snow is frozen a couple inches deep, that's a good start at reducing the likelihood of an avalanche further. 

    Example photo: wet slab avalanches are scary and unpredictable. As more water drains and temperatures cool, chances of one naturally occurring are diminishing. 

Avalanche Discussion

Roughly 3-5 inches of rain fell in the West South zone last Friday to Thursday of this week. For the duration, temperatures remained above freezing. This resulted in a significant wet avalanche cycle. Several large (D2) and very large (D3) avalanches were reported as a result of the warm temperatures and rain. Check out the media gallery for some, likely from over the weekend, that were spotted today.

Many of these slides are suspected to have failed, or stepped down, to deeper layers we've been concerned about- particularly the Solstice Crust. Now that temperatures are finally starting to cool, we'll be able to stop worrying so much about these deep layers, at least for now. 

At most elevations, heavy wet snow, runneled surfaces, running water, exposed rocks/dirt, and avalanche debris now litter the landscape, making for challenging travel conditions. At higher elevations, prepare for firm snow or icy surfaces. Consider crampons and an ice axe, as slide for life may be a concern. An inch or two of fresh snow exists above 6000 feet or so, which probably isn't enough to make travel more pleasant. 

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