Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Tue
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

You may still be able to trigger avalanches in wind drifted snow at upper elevations. Most of these avalanches should be small but could increase in size as you get closer to the Cascade Crest, particularly near White Pass. Identify these wind-loaded pockets near ridgelines by their pillowed look and steer around them if you see signs of instability, such as shooting cracks. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    A few inches of snow fell throughout the East South zone, with significantly more as you get closer to the Crest, particularly near and south of the HWY12 corridor. Strong gusty winds built wind slabs on lee aspects, likely near ridgelines and rocky features in the alpine. While we anticipate most of these avalanches to be small and stubborn to trigger, they may increase in size and sensitivity as you get closer to the Crest. Be cautious of the surrounding terrain and any features such as cliffs, gullies, or rocks that may increase the consequences of being caught by even a small avalanche. Look for clues to how wind-drifted snow may react before entering larger features. For example, you can check to see how easily the snow slides with hand pits and small test slopes. Also, look for shooting cracks and small slabs as indicators that you could trigger an avalanche. 

    (1/22/2023)

    You may notice shallow instabilties like this on Sunday. Look for wind-stiffened snow, cracking,  or snow sliding easily to help you idenitfy areas of concern. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Monday will likely be a fairly calm weather day on the east slopes, with light snow and moderate winds. With significantly more snow forecasted for the west slopes, you may experience very different conditions as you travel west in the zone. With mild temperatures and recent snow, you may see rollerballs or small wet loose avalanches at lower elevations. 

New snow buried a variety of surfaces across the zone. On southerly aspects, new snow rests on a melt-freeze crust, while on more shaded, northerly terrain, snow fell on settled powder and potentially weak, sugary surface snow. As new snow piles up, dig down to see how the new snow is bonding with the old snow surface. 

While generally, the snowpack in the East South is strong, we identified some weak faceting snow over the MLK crust in Ahatanum Meadows. While this isn't currently an avalanche concern, it is a layer we will continue to watch as snow incrementally loads this weak layer. Avalanche concerns are limited to the upper snowpack over the thick, easily identifiable MLK crust.

If you get out into the East-South, please let us know by submitting an observation!

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