Lawinenlagebericht

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
1 · Gering
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist last year abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

After a cold morning, Sunday will be a warm spring day with the potential for wet avalanches on steep, sunny slopes. Most avalanches will be small, but use caution in steep terrain where a slip and fall could be dangerous. Don't linger beneath rock slabs still holding snow or overhung cornices that may fail unpredictably. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    Just a dusting of snow exists over the recent crust with potential for up to a few inches at upper elevations. Overnight temperatures will be quite cold, but Sunday will quickly turn into a warm and sunny spring day. As the recent snow becomes wet, it could slide easily on the underlying crust. This might just end up being a widespread rollerball festival rather than more substantial wet loose avalanches. But while avalanches are expected to be small and inconsequential, they could be dangerous if you are knocked over in terrain where you could fall through rocks or cliffs. We have limited information from upper elevations, so while we expect similar conditions, if you find more than a few inches of fresh snow becoming wet and heavy, avalanches could be larger. 

    As we head further into spring, sagging cornices can fail unexpectedly, and rock slabs may still shed chunks of snow. Avoid lingering under large, overhanging cornices, slopes with open glide cracks, and cliffs still holding snow. If you are sinking below your boot top into wet snow, these wet snow problems are more likely, and it's probably time to move to shady aspects or lower angle terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

This is the last avalanche forecast for the 24-25 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through April 27th. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter!

The convergence zone didn't end up favoring Stevens Pass much, but we did pick up between 1-3 inches of snow at mid-elevations. The strong winds accompanying the storm may have formed small wind slabs on lee slopes below ridgelines. If you find stiff wind-drifts deeper than about 6 inches, you could trigger small avalanches on steep slopes. These may not be a problem on their own, but if you're in terrain where a small avalanche could push you over rocks or cliffs, the consequences could be significant. Look for textured surfaces, cornice formations, or pillowlike drifts to identify likely wind slab locations. Use quick hand pits or small test slopes to observe how wind-drifted snow behaves. If you observe cracking or if the snow slides easily on underlying layers, avalanches are more likely. 

I was out near Skyline Lake on Friday and found that this week's snow is still wet, but a semi-supportable surface crust and lack of significant sunshine limited any wet loose activity. Unfortunately, the wet snow below the crust created challenging travel through breakable crusts. There was just a trace of new snow over this crust. The surface was supportable to skis but not boots. The upper snowpack has transitioned to melt forms, but make sure to monitor how frozen these upper crusts are during the warmer days with limited overnight cooling. If you are punching deeply into wet snow, shed style avalanches from cornice falls, glide cracks, or rock slabs are more likely. 

The spring weather creates dynamic and variable snow conditions. Conditions at lower elevations may feel like full springtime, but as you climb into alpine terrain, you can quickly find a return to winter and dry snow problems. Travel with an assessment mindset and be prepared to assess conditions as they change with time, elevation, and aspect. You should also prepare for challenging travel on icy crusts and punchy snow. Watch for open creeks and other exposed obstacles and make sure to build in some extra travel time to account for longer approaches on bare ground.

Even though the forecast season has ended, you can still read about conditions and contribute by submitting an observation.

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