Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 8 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

New snow, wind, and stormy conditions will increase avalanche danger throughout the day. Stick to lower-angle, sheltered terrain and be prepared for periods of poor visibility. Early-season hazards like rocks, downed trees, and open creeks lurk just below the snow surface.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

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

    With 1-2 feet of new snow in the last few days - and more on the way overnight and Saturday - expect a variety of avalanche problems, including wind slabs, loose dry, and even small slabs in sheltered terrain. You are most likely to trigger an avalanche in wind loaded areas. Still, you could see more storm slab-like activity during periods of higher snowfall and slowly rising afternoon temperatures.

    Use the crust beneath the new snow to track changes in new snow and wind slab depth as you climb higher or switch aspects. Test slopes and hand pits can provide information about the bond of new snow layers. Shooting cracks and recent avalanches are telltale signs that you will probably trigger an avalanche if you venture into steep terrain. 

    (3/27/2024)

    Stay on the lookout for slab avalanches in sheltered terrain in addition to wind-loaded areas.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

The Mt. Baker Highway will remain closed on Saturday, and access along Hwy 20 is also limited due to closures on both the Cascade River and Baker Lake roads. Shallow snow cover and recent washouts and landslides continue to restrict travel and limit on-the-ground observations across the forecast zone.

The snowpack structure beneath the most recent snowfall includes a mix of crusts, moist, rounded grains, and large-grained melt forms. In many areas, 1–3 feet of snow sits over mid-December crust layers. Most low-elevation terrain still has too little snow to produce avalanches, but this is starting to change as you climb up to 4000'.

An observer on the north side of Mt. Baker reported active wind transport and touchy wind slabs at middle and upper elevations. The most notable finding was a poor bond between the top 12 inches of new snow and an underlying crust. This crust likely formed during warmer temperatures on Thursday night, before cooling and renewed snowfall deposited more snow on top of it.

The weather over the past few weeks has been extraordinary, with torrential rains, extreme winds, flooding, and landslides. Many communities are dealing with damage to homes, infrastructure, and businesses, stretching resources thin. These events have limited access to the mountains for all of us. State and local resources are working diligently to reduce the worst of these impacts. We can help by being respectful of local communities, obeying road closures, and heeding ski area uphill travel policies.

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