Olympics

Wind-loaded slopes are becoming more stubborn to trigger, but you can still trigger a large slab in a wind-loaded location.  Steer around steep or poorly supported slopes on the lee side of ridgelines.  Keep an eye on your partner, due to the risk of deep snow immersion, and anticipate areas where submerged obstacles may be present.

Preliminary Accident Report: An avalanche accident occurred on Friday, March 1 near Darland Mt in the Ahtanum Meadows area (East South Zone). Two snowmobilers were involved in the slide. One rider was fully buried and killed. The avalanche occurred around 6600ft in a generally east-facing bowl. NWAC staff will visit the accident site on Saturday. Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community.

Olympics Discussion: 

A significant storm system impacted the Olympics over the past week, transforming the landscape by literally doubling the snowpack in some areas and bringing snow back down to lower elevations.  At Hurricane Ridge, almost 3.5" of water translated into 3-4' of new snow above 4500' since Wednesday.  Weather stations in other parts of the range above 4000' showed increases measured in feet as well.  Cold temperatures, and snow showers continue through the remainder of the weekend.

In the past 24 hours, the snow settled as fast as it accumulated. 1-3" of snow fell in the past 24 hours, but the total height of snow remained largely unchanged. The lack of additional significant loading has helped instabilities within the recent storm snow to heal and has given wind slabs some time to gain strength. Keep in mind that this healing process may be taking longer in the southern Olympics which have been favored by recent snowfall patterns. Avalanche activity could still be larger and more widespread at upper elevations in these areas, so consider easing into the terrain and making a more conservative terrain selection.

In wind-sheltered terrain, it's worth considering that it won't take much to get all the deep, mostly unconsolidated snow to run downhill. It's not out of the question that you could trigger a storm slab on a very steep slope (perhaps running on a layer of graupel or stellar crystals). Loose surface snow may also move with you as a dry loose avalanche on slopes approaching 40 degrees or more.  On Saturday, NPS Rangers intentionally triggered a refrigerator-sized chunk of cornice that triggered an unimpressive dry loose avalanche on the slope below. Loose dry avalanches or sluffs, may not be big enough to bury you but could knock you off your feet.  Getting swept off a cliff, or into dense trees or a tree well are real examples of how a small avalanche quickly becomes an issue in the wrong piece of terrain.  Natural dry loose avalanches are possible on very steep slopes following periods of heavier snowfall or on sunny slopes if the sun pops out for an extended stretch and temperatures rise. 

NPS and NWAC professionals in the Hurricane Ridge area on Thursday found deep trail breaking and touchy avalanche conditions along ridgelines with freshly drifted snow along with recent storm slab avalanches.  While the storm dropped the new snow evenly across the landscape, winds were easily transporting the low-density snow during the day and forming new cornices and wind features along ridgelines.  A notable whumpf was noted on one slope, a sign that weak snow (facets) above the old snow surface from last week (2/25) may allow for avalanches to break deeper and wider than expected. 

Travelers also noted the odd reality where deep unconsolidated snow was not enough to fully eliminate travel hazards related to the previously thin snowpack.  Be mindful of aspect, elevation, and underlying terrain while traveling as you're likely to encounter logs, creeks, holes, rocks, or other not-so-fun stuff waiting for you underneath the new snow.   Conversely,  all of the new snow has not settled and deep snow immersion/tree wells (SIS) are a real concern in areas as additional snow piles up.  Ride with a partner and keep one another within sight. SIS resulted in a fatality on Friday in the Cascades.

2023-2024 Forecast Schedule

NWAC will issue an avalanche forecast every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and every holiday mid-week day the Hurricane Ridge Road is open from December to early April.  We will issue Avalanche Watches or Warnings when conditions warrant.  We will not update the non-holiday midweek discussion.  Our mountain weather forecasts will continue to cover the Olympics and are issued twice a day through the end of April.  If you have questions or feedback, please contact us at [email protected] and [email protected]. 

If you're out in the snow, share your observations with us and your local backcountry community.