Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

While an avalanche may be hard to find, you can get one if you look hard enough. Navigate around steep terrain where you identify recent wind drifting. Slopes that receive strong sun could produce loose snow avalanches. Early season hazards still exist in many areas. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Pockets of reactive wind slab can be found even though they are isolated in distribution. One person triggered a small slab and took a short ride on Wednesday in the Baker Backcountry. On the other hand, observers in many other areas of West North reported minimally wind affected snow, even at upper elevations.

    While small and seemingly harmless, getting caught in a small wind slab could still result in getting pushed into a terrain trap or dragged across rocks, stumps, etc. Look for signs of previous wind loading like cornices, wind-scoured ridgelines, and thicker, stiffer drifts. You are most likely to find wind slab along upper-elevation ridgelines, in complex terrain like gullies and couloirs, below cliff bands, or on steep, unsupported slopes.

    Assess stability before moving into steep terrain where you suspect wind slab, especially terrain with consequences in the runout below.  If you observe more wind than forecast, be prepared to find fresh, reactive slabs that will take a more conservative strategy to navigate safely

    Use small, wind-loaded features to test wind slab reactivity.

    Photo: Jason Speer - Baker Mountain Guides

Avalanche Discussion

The amount of sun on Thursday could vary widely across the West North forecast zone, with more sun likely the farther east and south you go. Significant loose snow avalanche activity is not expected, but you could still see rollerballs and small avalanches. You are most likely to see these below cliffs and steep treed terrain that sheds snow with warming. Avoid being on or directly under steep slopes where you observe signs of instability.

The biggest snowpack variable might be the amount of loose, dry snow on the ground. Some areas have 6” or less above a layer of rain-affected snow, while others have 12” or more. An increase in wind speed will drift this soft snow into fresh wind slabs. Significant warming will likely produce wet loose avalanches. The more fresh snow you find, the greater the avalanche danger when one of these weather factors eventually comes into play.

While coverage is still considered early season, backcountry travelers have continued to find good to excellent conditions at mid and upper elevations. Avalanche activity has tapered off compared to the spell of human-triggered avalanches over a week ago. But a handful of loose dry, loose wet, wind slab, and even glide avalanches were still reported in the past week. Whatever the avalanche danger rating, stay alert to snowpack, weather, and signs of instability in the terrain around you.

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