Boletín de aludes

Olympics

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Mon
Alta montaña
1 · Débil
Límite del bosque
1 · Débil
Bajo el límite
1 · Débil
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 3 years ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

Unusually warm, sunny December weather focuses the limited avalanche hazard on sun-drenched slopes. Wherever there's enough snow to shed off rocks or steep, smooth grassy slopes, limit your overhead exposure. Snow cover is shallow throughout the Olympics, so prepare for exposed dirt, stumps, rocks, and open creeks.

Problemas de aludes

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Unlikely
    Tamaño
    1–1.5

    Generally safe avalanche conditions exist except in isolated areas where there's still enough snow to create hazard on SW-S-SE slopes. By Sunday, Hurricane Ridge will experience 5 nights with temperatures above freezing. During the day, temperatures will be in the mid to upper 40s with light winds, allowing weak December sun to create spring-like conditions on SE, then S, and finally SW aspects as the day progresses. Warm temperatures and an expected poor overnight refreeze will enable water to lubricate the ground/snow interface beneath chunks, blocks, or patches of snow creating the potential for isolated natural glide avalanches. Although there's generally enough snow to ride or slide on shaded aspects, the snowpacks of many aspects facing the sun have been largely depleted by rain, wind, and mild temperatures. Thus, you might find more isolated deposits of snow that have survived at upper elevations and in nooks of rocky terrain features. The terrain travel advice is simple: limit your exposure to patches of snow or ice receiving direct sunshine on steep or rocky slopes above you.  Chunks of snow or ice could fall/slide 1000 ft or more in the right terrain, so keep a watchful eye upward.

    If there's 6" or more of saturated wet snow in your terrain, you can trigger a shallow wet loose avalanche on a slope steeper than 35 degrees. Adjust your slope angle or move to colder, shaded aspects to avoid the problem.

    Example: Steep rocky or smooth slopes, that will destabilize under warm temperatures and strong sunshine.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Things are not looking particularly wintery at Hurricane Ridge following multiple atmospheric river events that featured more rain than snow.  The last event ended Dec 10th and since then it has been mild and occasionally windy, putting more of a dent in the local snowpack.  A weak front on Wednesday night brought less than an inch of new snow at 5000' that melted off by the afternoon.  NRCS Snotels around 4000' show only a few inches of snow.  Continuous travel on snow at lower elevations is limited to the upper portion of the elevation band (above 4000').  At all elevations, snow cover is terrain and aspect-dependent.  Shadier northerly aspects at middle and upper elevations will offer the best coverage. 

For snow-covered terrain, you may encounter a variety of snow surfaces including wet slushy or punchy snow, crusts of variable thicknesses, or even icy surfaces.  Also, be prepared to travel on bare (and in many cases dry) ground. If you do encounter slick crusts, be prepared with the tools to arrest a fall on a steep slope.

If you're out in the backcountry, share your observations with us and your local community.

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