Boletín de aludes

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Mon
Alta montaña
2 · Moderado
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
1 · Débil
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó last year. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

Another round of balmy weather will maintain some chance of triggering a wet snow avalanche. Minimize your time spent underneath large overhanging chunks of snow along ridgelines that could release and fall. If you observe sticky surfaces, rollerballing, and fresh avalanches, consider moving to lower angle slopes.

Problemas de aludes

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1–2

    A lot of wet snow avalanches have probably already run their course at this point, but we lack certainty about that claim with little on the ground data to support it. Enter into the backcountry anticipating some wet snow on the move. Shadier slopes that don't get direct sunlight and have escaped warming and weakening thus far may be the most likely place. The only slopes with lower likelihood are high elevation northerlies that shade and wind will maintain more of a cool and dry snowpack, as well as lower elevation slopes that lack consistent or any snow coverage to pose a threat.

    Wet loose avalanches often occur in steep, sunlit terrain, especially if there are some adjacent cliffs or rocky terrain. The typical progression involves rollerballs and pinwheels that lead to point releases. Once these slides get going, they could run a good ways on an underlying crust or entrain considerably more snow as they go. If afternoon rain near the Cascade Crest transpires, liquid water would rapidly destabilize the snowpack. If you're punching deeply through the snowpack or surfaces are sticky, consider sticking to low angle slopes.

    (3/23/2025)

    Pushable wet snow on steep slopes after a rain on snow event. It would either start as a few rollerballs or slide as a whole slab and entrain more snow as it ran downhill.

    Photo: Payton Schiff

  • Cornices

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Unlikely
    Tamaño
    2–2.5

    A weak overnight refreeze, daytime sun and warmth, then a chance of rain could be just the recipe one of these beasts needs to come loose. This type of avalanche is impossible to predict, but using the signs of snowpack warming detailed above might help you decide if the chances are lower or higher. Try to reduce your time spent underneath one, especially if it appears to be drooping. Take some care to ensure you're traveling on solid ground along ridge crests. Definitely don't step out on one if there is a visible crack formed along the top of it. Terrain susceptible to glide avalanches may be making themselves known as well but these are similarly impossible to predict. Stay off slopes where glide cracks exist.

    (3/23/2025)

    Large cornices have developed along the north facing side of Tronsen Ridge. If enough water seeped down into these overhanging masses, they could suddenly collapse.

    Photo: Payton Schiff

Avalanche Discussion

We're in for a bit of a repeat of Friday night and Saturday's weather. Saturday night temperatures aren't going to drop well below freezing, and some high clouds might inhibit radiational cooling. Then, Sunday might be even warmer. The day will start out sunny before cloud coverage moves in in the afternoon. Freezing levels will remain high despite precipitation on its way Sunday night. Areas near the Crest could see some light rain before 6pm.

All of these inputs create an environment for a weak snowpack. If rain falls, large wet slab avalanches could be on the table. Our uncertainty lies in how weak the snowpack has already gotten, as we lack on the ground observations to confirm or deny. We do have high certainty that southerly facing, lower elevation terrain is quite safe. It doesn't have any snow left, and we don't expect avalanches from higher up to grow big enough to travel down to these areas. So if you're taking advantage of good weather windows to get into some further out or higher up places, you may need to do your own snowpack assessments to gauge conditions. Avoid steep slopes if you're getting rained on.

To keep chugging along on the uncertainty train track, we aren't quite sure how the weather is going to play out Sunday night into Monday. There will be precipitation, but the timing, where, and in what form (rain or snow) is up for debate at the moment. Regardless, be prepared for changing conditions. Check back into the avalanche forecast Sunday night if you plan on skipping the office for some turns on Monday.

With limited observations this time of the season, there is inherently more uncertainty in our avalanche forecast. You can help reduce that uncertainty by submitting a public observation here or on the AVY mobile app.

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