Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 4 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

You could trigger avalanches in this wind-drifted snow on steep slopes below ridges, confined features, and steep convex rolls on open slopes. Avoid steep slopes below ridges in alpine terrain and steer around these deep-looking drifts at lower elevations. Watch for signs of instability, such as shooting cracks, telling you to keep slope angles low.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The recent East winds haven't been impressive in many places, but the recent low-density snow is very susceptible to drifting. Areas in the Wenatchee Mountains experienced more sustained winds, and wind slabs could be more reactive in these areas. On Thursday, blowing snow and wind slabs were also reported in alpine terrain in the Icicle River Drainage. Steep slopes below ridges and confined alpine terrain features such as chutes and gullies are likely places to trigger these wind slabs. Also, watch out for mid-slope features such as steep convex rolls as potential trigger points. Visual clues can help you identify wind loaded features. Textured surfaces, drifts around rocks and trees, and deep pillowlike drifts are all signs wind slabs are nearby. Ease into the terrain using smaller, less consequential slopes to see how the snow reacts. If you find cracks or feel firm hollow snow underneath you, step back and stay off these suspected wind-loaded areas.

    (1/9/2023)

    Small test slopes like this can indicate unstable conditions and the presence of reactive wind slabs. 

    Photo: Irene Henninger

  • Loose Dry

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    8-15 inches of cold, dry, low density snow piled up on Wednesday on the East Slopes of the Cascades. The sun is in the forecast for Friday, and temperatures will moderate significantly. These overlapping weather inputs make small dry loose avalanches possible in very steep terrain. Don't let a smaller avalanche knock you over and take you for a ride above a terrain trap. 

    (2/22/2023)

    These small dry loose avalanches ran naturally during high precipitation rates on Wednesday. 

    Photo: Katie Warren

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche Fatality: Colchuck Pk, East Central Zone: Read the preliminary report here.

Significant snow totals piled up on the East Slopes, particularly in the Wenatchee Mountains and Icicle River Drainage, where 8-10" of snow accumulated on Wednesday. NWAC observer Brooke Maushund found less snow near Lake Wenatchee, with only about 5-6" of snow over the Valentine Crust. All the recent snow sits over this crust, often presenting as weak snow between a thin sandwich of crusts. Observations around the zone indicate this crust exists up to 6500-7000ft. While we don't anticipate this weak snow is contributing to the current avalanche hazard, it is an interface we will monitor during additional loading events. The MLK crust is buried about 2-4ft deep in most areas of the East Central. We have been tracking this layer since two notable avalanches occurred in the nearby Stevens Pass zone. We expect this layer to be unreactive, but we still need additional information from the extent of the recent storm cycles to gain more confidence in this assessment. So these deeper layers are something to consider if you are stepping out into more complex terrain. If you get out into the mountains, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation. 

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