Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Wet avalanches are your main concern, as temperatures will spike Thursday morning. There could be more activity than expected, or maybe conditions will stay more benign. If you see wet avalanches running downslope, avoid steep terrain and being beneath large slopes that may slide. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    We're not quite sure how Thursday will play out. Temperatures will increase, and we've received 3.5 inches of water since Sunday night. This means upper elevations may have up to about 3 feet of new snow, and shallow or deeper avalanches might occur in the new layer. It could start raining before the day is out, which may spike wet avalanche activity as well. 

    There's a chance we'll have an abundance of wet avalanches, and the best actions to take would be to avoid steep slopes and the terrain beneath them. Avalanches could grow large, gouging deep into the snow and running further than expected, especially in gullies. Or, there may not be any remarkable activity.

    Regardless, wet avalanches are usually the easiest ones to monitor and manage. For starters, this isn't a day to commit to routes where you can't avoid avalanche terrain. You can do your part by monitoring slopes: 

    • If there are large natural avalanches running, then keep it simple and avoid steep slopes and the terrain beneath them
    • If there are no or few natural avalanches, you may still be able to trigger one on a steep slope. If you enter steep terrain, be cognizant of your surroundings and always have an exit strategy. Don't let one surprise you from behind because you will probably get trapped in it, which quite possibly will kill you. 

    Example photo: Wet avalanche debris like what you might encounter on Thursday. Photo: Evan Wendel

Avalanche Discussion

There's a small chance that at upper elevations you could trigger a small or large slab avalanche in the new snow layer. With warmer temperatures, we expect any weaknesses to have strengthened, but if you enter steep terrain, consider that you might trigger one of these. You're most likely to trigger a storm slab avalanche at higher elevations. 

Glide avalanches are a concern not to be taken lightly. Cracks may be disguised beneath the new snow layer, but there hasn't been much cooling since we had warm temperatures and an abundance of rain. Now, the old snow is insulated by several feet of snow at mid and upper elevations. Consider avoiding travel beneath gaping glide cracks, and large, saggy cornices too.  

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