Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 4 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Light snow and moderate winds may build drifts of snow near ridges in alpine terrain. Use caution and steer around steep terrain with pillow-like drifts to avoid triggering avalanches. Small wet avalanches may also be possible with clear skies in the afternoon.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Fresh shallow wind slabs could build on lee aspects near ridges and in wind-exposed alpine terrain. Older slabs formed on Tuesday from westerly winds. You may be able to trigger these older wind slabs as well as those that form on Thursday.

    Visual clues such as textured surfaces, blowing snow, cornices, and pillow-like drifts of snow can help you identify and avoid areas where you could trigger an avalanche. If you observe shooting cracks or feel the snowpack collapse beneath you, move to lower angle or wind-sheltered terrain. Even small avalanches can be consequential if it knocks you off your feet and carries you into trees, rocks, over cliffs, or buries you in confined terrain.

    (2/27/2022)

    An older example of a slab avalanche (D1) with wind transport visible.  Cutthroat creek drainage

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

  • Loose Wet

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

    You may be able to trigger small wet avalanches on sunny slopes if the sun shines long enough to melt the surface snow. Expect these small avalanches if you find more than 4" of new snow and extended periods of sun. Keep an eye on how much the surface snow melts and use small test slopes to check if it slides easily.  If so, stick to slopes less than 35 degrees or move to a more shaded aspect. Below treeline, snow amounts may not be enough to create a hazard to backcountry travelers. Here, rollerballs may be more present than actual avalnches. New snow will likely fall on a crust which could make for a slick sliding surface.

    (4/2/2022)

    An example of wet avalanche debris from late March. Silverstar Mtn

    Photo: Public obs

Avalanche Discussion

Areas near Washington Pass likely picked up 3-5" of snow on Tuesday with enough wind to drift snow on some upper elevation slopes. An observer on Silver Star Mtn found mostly non-wind affected snow above treeline. Elsewhere, the wind may have formed more significant slabs.

Information and observations are limited. Access to snow-covered slopes has become difficult in many parts of the zone. Be prepared to make your own observations and assessments. If you see conditions different from what we describe, defer to lower-angle and simpler terrain. The North Cascades Highway SR 20 is currently gated at Silverstar, though the road is plowed further west. Until the road opens, WSDOT allows recreational access on the North Cascades Highway near Washington Pass from Friday-Sunday. With road clearing operations underway midweek and other professional operations inactive, your observations are essential. If you're out in the mountains, let us know what you see. 

Abgedeckte Regionen