Lawinenlagebericht

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

A warm temperature trend will continue for Thursday, so expect wet loose avalanches to become problematic during the day. Wet loose avalanches could grow large on bigger terrain features. If you begin to sink into snow surfaces deeper than your boot with wet and punchy snow, or if you notice fresh avalanche activity then it's time to move away from steeper slopes.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    Sunshine and warm temperatures will quickly melt snow surfaces on Thursday.  As this is the second day of very warm temperatures, wet loose avalanche activity should continue. Expect these to become problematic and potentially dangerous as the daytime warms. Look for indicators of wet activity such as moist surface snow, rollerballs, and recent fan-shaped avalanches. Once you notice these, or if you begin to sink into wet snow deeper than your boot top, its time to get off of steep slopes. Loose wet slides could grow large, becoming more dangerous if they gouge down into older snow (see photo of large avalanche on Lichtenberg). Be especially cautious around any sustained steep slopes and near terrain traps such as cliffs and strainers. 

    Above treeline, activity should be limited to slopes in direct sun. Directly north-facing slopes at upper elevations may stay cooler, although at lower elevations, temperatures should be warm enough that we could see wet slides occur even on shaded slopes. 

    (3/31/2021) A large wet loose avalanche ran naturally off a steep south facing slope on Lichtenberg on Wednesday. It appeared to gouge into older layers.

Avalanche Discussion

Thursday looks to be another very warm day. Overnight temperatures won't cool off much, so refreezes of snow surfaces should be weak. This will allow the snow to warm up more quickly on Thursday, and continued wet loose avalanche activity is expected. Wednesday was very warm with temperatures into the mid 40's above 5,000ft, and I observed many small wet loose avalanches along with one large wet loose avalanche. See photo below and observation. This one gouged down into older snow layers, and even had a few small trees in the debris pile. On Tuesday, observers noted small natural loose wet avalanches in west facing terrain such as Wenatchee Bowl. A winter storm delivered up to 15" of snow accumulating on Monday morning with strong westerly winds. 

The snowpack is generally strong and well settled, although a layer of facets above a crust from mid-January created widespread deep slab avalanches through February. While the last activity we know of on this layer was March 1, it is worth keeping on your mind as we transition into spring. On Sunday, Josh Hirshberg dug a profile on SE, 5,400ft almost 7 feet down to this persistent weak layer. While the grains have rounded quite a bit, the layer is still notably weaker than the adjacent layers. 

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state, and federal health officials. Avoid unnecessary risks that could impact first responders and stress medical resources.  Wear a mask when appropriate, practice social distancing, and consider recreating closer to home.

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